Rubén Oseguera González, known as “El Menchito” and son of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, leader and founder of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), filed an appeal in a US Federal Court to overturn the life sentence imposed on him in March 2025. The appeal was filed with the Federal Court for the District of Columbia and requests the annulment of the ruling or, failing that, a new trial.
The defense maintains that the judicial process was tainted by irregularities that prevented a fair trial, including the admission of questionable testimony and an atmosphere of prejudice fueled by media coverage of his relationship to one of Mexico’s most wanted drug traffickers. The document argues that the defendant’s notoriety eroded the presumption of innocence from the beginning of the case.
Oseguera González’s lawyers claim the court allowed the trial to proceed under a sensationalist narrative that influenced both the jury and the evidentiary decisions. The appeal, reviewed by the newspaper Milenio, states that “ensuring a truly fair trial was always difficult” due to his family’s criminal notoriety and the intense public attention surrounding the proceedings.
The appeal again calls into question the credibility of several cooperating witnesses, including former members of rival criminal organizations and a former police officer who served as “El Mencho’s” head of security. According to the defense, the accounts presented included episodes lacking documentary support, such as mass celebrations and alleged executions, which should not have been admitted as evidence. One of these testimonies was described as “fanciful” and lacking verifiable evidence.
