Federal prosecutors are advancing a civil forfeiture action to seize a 4.8-acre ranch property located in Hemet, California, which is allegedly owned by Juan Carlos Valencia González. Valencia, 41, is a U.S. citizen born in Santa Ana and is currently identified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as one of its most wanted fugitives. He is suspected of being the top leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a designation authorities claim he assumed following the death of his stepfather, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, in February 2026. Valencia, who uses aliases including “Pelon” and “El 3,” was indicted in October 2020 for conspiring to traffic cocaine and methamphetamine and for related firearms offenses. He remains at large and could face two consecutive life sentences if convicted. The Department of Justice is offering a $25 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction. The property, situated on Three Springs Road, was purchased in 2011 for $250,000 and is currently managed by Valencia’s maternal uncle, José María González Valencia, who resides in Orange County. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco noted that the Hemet ranch is part of a broader network of hundreds of cartel-linked properties in the region, highlighting challenges posed by state sanctuary laws that limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The DOJ filed the forfeiture action in July in the District of Columbia, asserting the property is connected to the illicit activities of the CJNG, which was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department in February 2025. Authorities continue to seek Valencia’s capture as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle the cartel’s operations, which span the United States and Mexico.