CJNG Co-founder El 85 Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court

Érick Valencia Salazar ('El 85'), one of the original co-founders of CJNG, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. to conspiracy to distribute cocaine for importation into the United States — facing a mandatory minimum of 10 years and maximum of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 31, 2026 before Chief Judge James Boasberg. El 85 (age 49) was extradited to the U.S. on February 27, 2025 as part of the largest single CJNG extradition in history. After his 2012 arrest in Zapopan he broke from El Mencho and founded La Nueva Plaza, a CJNG rival. The guilty plea closes a major chapter in U.S. prosecution of CJNG's founding generation — three of the four original co-founders are now accounted for: El Mencho killed, El 53 killed, El 85 in U.S. custody.