Cartel Leader Pleas For Clemency Ahead Of Sentencing In The U.S., Says Fault Falls On Drug-Trafficker Father

The son of a Mexican drug lord, set to be sentenced himself on drug-trafficking charges in the U.S., is pleading clemency from authorities and saying his father's activities are mostly to blame for his unlawful actions.

Ruben Oseguera Gonzalez, known as "El Menchito," is the son of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho," the head of the powerful Jalisco Nueva Generacion Cartel (CJNG), recently designated by the Donald Trump administration as a terrorist organization.

Oseguera Cervantes is set to be convicted in the U.S., but his defense attorneys requested Judge Beryl Howell he receive the lowest sentence, 40 years, claiming he is a victim of the violent environment in which he grew up. His wife, children and wife also sent letters to the judge pleading for the lowest sentence. Prosecutors, in turn, requested two life sentences.

The defense claims "El Menchito" had no choice but to follow his father's footsteps, being recruited at the age of 14. They also claim he is a family man who cares about their well-being, with his wife, Mayra Gutierrez Ochoa calling him an "extraordinary human being."

"I had the experience of knowing an extraordinary human being, understanding, generous, capable of thinking in what's good before himself, of showing love, empathy and openness to dialogue. He has a calm temper, doesn't like trouble and has many friends, accepts his mistakes and is always willing to correct them," reads a passage of her letter.

Ochoa went on to say her husband financed orphanages, asylums and hospitals in Mexico, and is a religious man. "It's been a hard road to follow because his arrest has left me with the role of mother and father. I ask you have mercy of such much suffering, both mine and my children's." Letters from "El Menchito's" children and grandmother strike a similar tone.

Oseguera Gonzalez was found guilty of drug trafficking by a federal grand jury. He was also found guilty of helping lead the CJNG between 2007 and 2017 and being involved in attacks against the Mexican army, including the downing of a helicopter during a clash in Jalisco. The next hearing on his case will take place on March 7.