Federal prosecutors are moving to seize a Hemet ranch allegedly owned by a fugitive identified by authorities as the suspected leader of one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent drug cartels.
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A federal civil forfeiture action filed in July by the U.S. Department of Justice alleges the 4.8-acre property on Three Springs Road is connected to Juan Carlos Valencia González, 41, who was born in Santa Ana and is one of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s most wanted fugitives. A $25 million reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.
Valencia González, who uses the monikers “Pelon,” “Tricky Tres,” “03” and “El 3,” was indicted in October 2020 for conspiring to traffic cocaine and methamphetamine and related firearms offenses. In August, federal prosecutors identified Valencia González as the top leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) following the death of his stepfather, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, in February.
Valencia González, who remains on the lam, could face two consecutive life sentences if convicted.
A blank title sign is seen near the 4.8-acre ranch property in Hemet, allegedly owned by Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez, the suspected leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent drug cartels. The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to seize the property. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
The U.S, Department of Justice is seeking to seize this 4.8-acre ranch property in Hemet, allegedly owned by Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez, the suspected leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent drug cartels. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to seize this 4.8-acre ranch property in Hemet, allegedly owned by Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez, the suspected leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent drug cartels. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
According to the DOJ, CJNG produces and traffics tons of drugs, including cocaine and methamphetamine, into the United States, using extreme violence to further its operations. On Feb. 20, 2025, the State Department designated CJNG a foreign terrorist organization.
A year later, in February 2026, Valencia González’s stepfather, Oseguera Cervantes — the cartel’s longtime leader who was known as “El Mencho” — was killed in a Mexican military operation. Court filings say Valencia González assumed CJNG’s leadership following El Mencho’s death.
CJNG’s operations span much of Mexico and extend into all 50 U.S. states and dozens of countries, according to a 2023 DOJ report. Along with the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco Cartel and their affiliates control the vast majority of the fentanyl global supply chain, from manufacture to distribution, the report said.
The DOJ also announced in August new charges against five other senior CJNG leaders, alleging their involvement in drug trafficking, weapons offenses and violent enforcement operations. Prosecutors also detailed an international fraud scheme that allegedly targeted thousands of Americans who owned timeshare properties in Mexico.
Valencia González was just 26 years old, and reportedly still living in Orange County, when he was offered the Hemet property in 2011. Property records show that Hemet Auto Center Leasing Inc. sold the land to Valencia González on March 30, 2011, for $250,000. The buyer’s name is listed in property records as Juan Carlos González.
Property records show $3,747 in property taxes were paid on the property in 2025.
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The assessed value of the property is now $326,692, according to the Riverside County Assessor’s Office, and Realtor.com estimates the market value at $841,000.
El Pais, a Spanish news publication, reported that the U.S. government has had Valencia González’s ranch in its sights for years. Citing an anonymous source from the Drug Enforcement Administration, El Pais reported that the property is currently managed by Valencia González’s maternal uncle, José María González Valencia, who lives in Orange County.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said the Hemet ranch tied to the suspected drug lord is only one example of a much larger network of cartel-linked properties across Riverside County.
He said he was unaware of the particular Hemet property before the federal forfeiture action filed in the District of Columbia, but that it did not surprise or concern him.
“What’s the big deal in this? It’s just funny to me,” Bianco said. He said cartel-linked properties number in the hundreds across communities such as Hemet, Perris, Mead Valley and Riverside.
And while Valencia González is a U.S. citizen, Bianco argued that many cartel leaders and their lieutenants are not, and that California’s sanctuary laws have restricted local law enforcement’s ability to investigate the immigration status and broader activities of people with suspected connections to international drug-trafficking organizations.
He specifically cited Senate Bill 54, California’s 2017 sanctuary-state law, which limits when state and local law enforcement agencies can cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Bianco said the restrictions have left local law enforcement with limited options when investigating suspected cartel activity.
“We know there are hundreds of properties in Riverside County that belong to foreign nationals involved in the drug trade, and we can’t do anything about it,” Bianco said.
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