(NewsNation) — Two men from Houston have pleaded guilty to charges related to a kidnapping incident orchestrated by high-level drug traffickers connected to the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, or CJNG.

Noe Hernandez, 39, and Homero Gallegos, 43, admitted to holding a victim hostage at gunpoint, subjecting him to beatings and threatening him with death.

According to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani, Hernandez played a crucial role in the abduction and confinement of the victim for nearly 24 hours in May 2019.

Hernandez also used a Taser to deliver electric shocks to the victim while his hands were bound behind his back.

CJNG “is one of the most violent cartels in Mexico, responsible for trafficking tons of cocaine, meth and fentanyl into the United States,” Hamdani said. 

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Members of the Mexican cartel contacted the victim’s family, demanding a staggering $400,000 for his release.

Law enforcement successfully executed a staged pick-up of the ransom money in Houston, leading to the rescue of the victim.

The investigation into the case was carried out collaboratively by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the Houston Police Department.

U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen is scheduled to impose sentencing March 24, 2024.

Both Hernandez and Gallegos face the possibility of life imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. They will remain in custody until the sentencing hearing.