The son of a Mexican drug cartel leader was convicted Friday of charges that he helped his father operate one of the country’s largest and most dangerous narcotics trafficking organizations.
The case included allegations that Rubén “El Menchito” Oseguera, the son of fugitive Jalisco New Generation cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera, used violence, including the deadly downing of a military helicopter, while serving as the cartel’s second-in-command.
He remained in power with the cartel until a federal crackdown on the cartel in February 2020 resulted in his extradition to the U.S.
A federal jury in Washington, D.C., deliberated for several hours over two days before finding the younger Oseguera guilty of both counts in his indictment: conspiring to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for U.S. importation and using a firearm in a drug conspiracy.
Rubén Oseguera, who was born in California and holds dual U.S.-Mexican citizenship, is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 10 by U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell.
He didn’t have an obvious reaction to the jury’s verdict. One of his lawyers patted him on his shoulder before he was led out of the courtroom.
