The new boss of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartel was born in California — raising thorny legal questions about how the Trump administration can go after a US citizen on foreign soil.

Juan Carlos Valencia, 41, who was born in Santa Ana, was identified Wednesday by US intelligence as the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, nearly five months after his stepfather, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, was killed during a Mexican military anti-drug operation.

Valencia was indicted on drug trafficking and weapons charges in Washington, DC in October 2020. The US a year later offered a $5 million reward for his capture, which still stands.

A former US law enforcement officia, who was once assigned to Mexico told The Post it’s now up to Washington to decide if and how it will escalate its pursuit of the newly crowned — but American-born — cartel king.

“It should change the rules of engagement where we will not target. We’re not supposed to target, put a U.S. citizen in danger. He’s got dual citizenship. But his US citizenship should protect him from the typical protocol of launching an operation that would put his life in unnecessary jeopardy,” the source said.

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