US Offers $25 Million Reward for Leader of Mexico’s Top Drug Cartel

The U.S. government on Wednesday raised its reward to $25 million for information leading to the capture of Juan Carlos González, a dual U.S. and Mexican citizen who took control of Mexico’s most powerful drug syndicate following the death of its founder.

The bounty on González, known as “Pelón,” was increased from $5 million as part of a $100 million reward package rolled out by the Trump administration targeting the leadership of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG. The initiative includes newly unsealed federal indictments against five senior commanders and visa restrictions on business associates and family members tied to the syndicate.

González stepped into the cartel’s top position after his stepfather, founder Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes—known as “El Mencho”—was killed in February by the Mexican military in an operation assisted by U.S. intelligence. The leader’s death triggered a severe wave of violence across Jalisco state.

“These sophisticated organizations use violence and fear to maintain control over the importation of deadly narcotics in the United States, including fentanyl, cocaine, meth, and other illegal drugs. Their actions spread violence and death to our communities,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters in Washington.

The crackdown follows financial sanctions imposed weeks earlier against 50 individuals and corporate entities linked to the cartel, freezing U.S. assets and blocking financial transactions involving González. Classified by Washington as one of eight Mexican cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations, CJNG maintains a presence in 21 of Mexico’s 32 states, expanding its financial enterprise from illegal drug smuggling into commercial sectors such as avocado production.

Among those named in the unsealed federal indictments are Oseguera Cervantes’ former son-in-law, Julio Alberto Castillo Rodriguez, and his godson, Hugo Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytan. All defendants face charges related to weapons offenses and international drug trafficking.

“This is a fight against CJNG that we are just beginning, and we will not back down,” said Terrance Cole, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The legal offensive forms part of an escalated push by President Donald Trump to compel Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to intensify military and law enforcement operations against cartels, accompanied by warnings of potential U.S. military action.