2026年4月8日 / 美国东部时间早上6:27 / 哥伦比亚广播公司/美联社
一名与墨西哥最具权势且最暴力的贩毒集团之一共同创立的加州男子周二在美国承认一项联邦毒品共谋罪指控。
埃里克·巴伦西亚·萨拉查与内梅西奥·奥塞格拉·塞万提斯共同创立了哈利斯科州新一代贩毒集团，后者即被称为“矮子”的毒枭，于今年2月被墨西哥军方击毙。
现年49岁的巴伦西亚·萨拉查来自加州圣克拉拉，他在华盛顿特区承认一项共谋为美国进口而分销可卡因的罪名，将面临最低10年、最高终身监禁的强制性刑期。首席法官詹姆斯·博阿斯伯格定于7月31日对其宣判。
检察官表示，巴伦西亚·萨拉查与奥塞格拉·塞万提斯创立哈利斯科贩毒集团（其西班牙语缩写为CJNG）之前，曾是千禧贩毒集团的成员。数百名CJNG成员听命于巴伦西亚·萨拉查，其职责包括招募人员以及获取关于贩毒集团竞争对手的情报。
美国司法部在一份新闻稿中称：“他还利用有关敌对贩毒集团的情报，定位并杀害CJNG的敌人，夺取墨西哥特定地区所有毒品贩运行动的控制权。”
巴伦西亚·萨拉查又名“85号”，在与领导CJNG直至其死亡的“矮子”决裂后，组建了自己的贩毒集团“新广场”。
负责司法部刑事司的助理司法部长A.泰森·杜瓦称，CJNG给美国造成了“无法估量的破坏”。
杜瓦在一份声明中表示：“巴伦西亚·萨拉查还加剧了墨西哥境内猖獗的暴力行为，以民众的生命和社区安全为代价，破坏了地区稳定，助长了犯罪活动。”
2018年，大陪审团以共谋罪起诉巴伦西亚·萨拉查。2025年2月，墨西哥当局将其作为首批29名毒枭之一引渡至美国。
去年，唐纳德·特朗普政府时期将CJNG及其他贩毒集团列为外国恐怖组织。
巴伦西亚·萨拉查曾在墨西哥两次被捕。第一次是在2012年，他在哈利斯科州首府瓜达拉哈拉附近的萨波潘市被军方拘留。
五年后，一名法官以所谓程序瑕疵为由将其从监狱释放。2022年，军方在塔帕尔帕镇再次抓获他，而“矮子”正是在该地点被抓获并击毙的。
美国国务院曾悬赏最高500万美元，征集有助于逮捕或定罪巴伦西亚·萨拉查的情报。
据美联社获得的死亡证明显示，“矮子”——美国曾悬赏1500万美元通缉他——在2月的军事突袭中身中多枪身亡。
行动结束后，警方在奥塞格拉·塞万提斯的住所发现了一个十字架、宗教蜡烛和一首手写的圣诗。墨西哥当局表示，他们追踪到他的一名浪漫伴侣来到该藏匿点。
此次击毙行动引发了墨西哥约20个州的暴力事件。在此次行动以及随后安全部队与CJNG枪手的冲突中，包括25名墨西哥国民警卫队队员在内的70多人丧生。
上个月，“矮子”被安葬在一口闪亮的金色棺材中，葬礼现场摆放着巨大的花圈，并有大量军警在场。
法新社为本报道提供了内容支持。
California man who co-founded CJNG cartel with slain drug lord “El Mencho” pleads guilty in U.S. to conspiracy
April 8, 2026 / 6:27 AM EDT / CBS/AP
A California man who co-founded one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent drug cartels pleaded guilty on Tuesday in the U.S. to a federal narcotics conspiracy charge.
Erick Valencia Salazar formed the Jalisco New Generation Cartel with Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the drug lord known as “El Mencho” who was killed by the Mexican army in February.
Valencia Salazar, 49, of Santa Clara, California, faces a mandatory-minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison after pleading guilty in Washington, D.C., to one count of conspiring to distribute cocaine for U.S. importation. Chief Judge James Boasberg is scheduled to sentence him on July 31.
Valencia Salazar was a member of the Milenio Cartel before he and Oseguera Cervantes founded the Jalisco cartel, which is known by its Spanish-language acronym CJNG. Hundreds of CJNG members reported to Valencia Salazar, whose duties included recruitment and obtaining information about cartel rivals, prosecutors said.
“He also used information about rival cartels to locate and kill CJNG’s enemies and gain control of all drug trafficking operations in particular territories in Mexico,” the Justice Department said in a news release.
Valencia Salazar, also known as “El 85,” formed his own cartel, La Nueva Plaza, after parting ways with “El Mencho,” who led the CJNG until his death.
Soldiers stand guard over Erick Valencia Salazar, alias “El 85,” in Mexico City, March 12, 2012. Alexandre Meneghini / AP
A. Tysen Duva, the assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s criminal division, said the CJNG has inflicted “immeasurable damage” on the U.S.
“Valencia Salazar was also responsible for furthering the rampant violence in Mexico, at the expense of people’s lives and the safety of communities, that helped destabilize the region and allow crime to flourish,” Duva said in a statement.
A grand jury indicted Valencia Salazar on the conspiracy charge in 2018. In February 2025, Mexican authorities sent him to the U.S. as part of an initial group of 29 drug lords.
Last year, President Donald Trump’s administration designated the CJNG and other cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
Valencia Salazar was arrested twice in Mexico. The first time was in 2012, when he was detained by the military in the municipality of Zapopan, near Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco.
Five years later, he was released from prison by order of a judge who cited alleged procedural flaws. In 2022, the Army recaptured him in the town of Tapalpa, the same place where “El Mencho” was captured and killed.
The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Valencia Salazar’s arrest or conviction.
“El Mencho” — who had a $15 million U.S. bounty on his head — died from multiple bullet wounds during the military raid in February, according to the death certificate obtained by The Associated Press.
A crucifix, religious candles and a handwritten psalm were found in Oseguera Cervante’s home after the operation. Mexican authorities said they tracked one of his romantic partners to the hideout.
The killing set off violence in some 20 Mexican states. Over 70 people, including 25 Mexican National Guard troops, were killed during the operation and subsequent clashes between the security forces and CJNG gunmen.
Last month, “El Mencho” was buried in a shiny golden casket with enormous flower wreaths and a large military presence.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
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