Abigael Gonzalez Valencia, alias “El Cuini”, requested for the second time the postponement of his hearing before a federal court in the United States, while his defense maintains open negotiations with the prosecution to reach a possible agreement a plea bargain to avoid a trial. The request was filed with the Federal Court of the District of Columbia, in Washington.

The hearing was scheduled for this Wednesday, but the defendant's lawyers asked to reschedule it for mid-March, arguing that they are still reviewing a significant amount of evidence and continuing discussions with U.S. prosecutors. The prosecution did not oppose the request, so the final decision will rest with Judge Beryl A. Howell.

Gonzalez Valencia's defense maintains that both parties are still analyzing the feasibility of an early resolution of the case, a scenario similar to that pursued by other Mexican drug traffickers extradited to the United States, seeking sentence reductions through plea agreements.

El Cuini faces federal charges of conspiracy to distribute large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine destined for the United States, as well as organized crime and use of firearms in drug trafficking activities. Authorities identify him as a key figure within a criminal organization with international operations. According to the weekly magazine Proceso, Gonzalez Valencia is identified by U.S. agencies as the main financial operator for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and leader of the organization known as Los Cuinis, a group accused of managing illicit funds, designing money laundering schemes, and facilitating the cartel's international expansion. The federal indictment maintains that his close family ties to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho, leader of the CJNG, strengthened the alliance between the two organizations.in which the armed and financial wings operated in a complementary manner for drug trafficking and the accumulation of illicit capital.

Gonzalez Valencia was sent to the United States in August 2025 as part of a bilateral operation in which the Mexican government handed over 26 drug traffickers wanted by U.S. authorities. Upon his arrival, he was taken into federal custody and presented before a court in Washington, where the charges against him were formalized.

In his first appearance before Judge Howell, held at the end of August 2025, El Cuini pleaded not guilty. During that hearing, his lawyer, Robert Feitl, requested specialized medical attention for his client, arguing that he suffers from hypertension and had not received adequate treatment after his transfer from Mexico. Investigations led by the DEA indicate that Gonzalez Valencia participated since the early 2000s in shipping tons of cocaine from South America to the United States, as well as facilitating the production and trafficking of methamphetamine, while operating a complex money laundering scheme through investments and businesses in various countries. Before his extradition, El Cuini spent several years in prison in Mexico, where he faced charges for organized crime after his capture in February 2015 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, during an operation by the Mexican Navy. Since then, he was considered one of the priority targets of U.S. anti-drug agencies.where he faced charges for organized crime after his capture in February 2015 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, during an operation by the Mexican Navy. Since then, he was considered one of the priority targets of U.S. anti-drug agencies.where he faced charges for organized crime after his capture in February 2015 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, during an operation by the Mexican Navy. Since then, he was considered one of the priority targets of U.S. anti-drug agencies.