The Trump administration has escalated pressure on the Jalisco New Generation Cartel by raising the reward for its acting leader to $25 million, unsealing criminal charges against five senior figures, and coordinating the biggest financial squeeze yet through sanctions. These moves combine law enforcement, Treasury measures, and public messaging to dismantle a narco-terrorist network blamed for pouring deadly fentanyl and other drugs into U.S. communities. The story tracks the transition of leadership inside CJNG after the death of El Mencho and explains the federal legal and financial tools now aimed at the cartel’s hierarchy. Below, the developments, allegations, and government statements are presented clearly and without spin.
Federal officials bumped the reward for Juan Carlos Valencia González, known as “Pelón,” from $5 million up to $25 million and expanded reward offers tied to other CJNG fugitives. Pelón is identified as a dual U.S.-Mexican citizen who assumed control after Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, El Mencho, was killed in a military operation earlier this year. U.S. authorities say the operation that removed El Mencho had U.S. intelligence support, and the elevated bounty signals Washington intends to chase the cartel leadership aggressively. The administration frames this as part of a sustained campaign to interrupt the pipelines that deliver fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin into the United States.
Pelón was already the subject of previous indictments alleging conspiracies to manufacture and distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for importation into the United States, plus a firearms charge tied to a machine gun. The Drug Enforcement Administration lists him among its most wanted fugitives as federal prosecutors seek to tie him to years of trafficking activity. The new unsealed charges added five additional senior operators to the target list, ramping up both criminal exposure and the potential for consecutive life sentences if convictions are secured. Those charged remain at large, according to federal filings.
The five newly charged defendants are named as Julio César Montero Pinzón, Carlos Andrés Rivera Varela, Hugo Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytán, Ricardo Ruiz Velasco, and Julio Alberto Castillo Rodríguez. Prosecutors say this group ran long-running conspiracies to manufacture and flood American streets with deadly drugs while protecting the enterprise with extreme violence. Allegations include using, carrying, brandishing, and firing weapons, even machine guns and destructive devices, to enforce control and intimidate rivals and officials. The legal exposure for each defendant includes the possibility of two consecutive life sentences for the conduct described in indictments.
Federal authorities say two of the accused, Montero Pinzón and Rivera Varela, allegedly built and commanded Grupo Elite, CJNG’s armed enforcement wing that reportedly numbered more than 1,000 personnel. That unit is described as operating training camps where recruits learned to use heavy weapons like rocket launchers and .50-caliber machine guns, and where violent tradecraft including torture was taught. The indictment narrative paints a paramilitary structure built to terrorize competitors and public officials alike. Other defendants are accused of procuring weapons, training personnel, coordinating shipments, buying precursor chemicals, and moving drug proceeds across borders.
Alongside the criminal filings, Treasury executed what officials called the largest sanctions action ever taken against CJNG, targeting more than 50 people and companies linked to the cartel’s financial network. The Office of Foreign Assets Control froze any U.S.-based assets tied to those designations and blocked transactions that would keep the criminal enterprise funded. Treasury documents describe front businesses ranging from gas stations and furniture firms to tequila operations and even a baby shoe company, all used to hide and launder proceeds. The operation reportedly moved tens of millions of dollars back to Mexico through networks that began moving bulk proceeds in 2023.
“The American people gave us a mandate to keep this country safe, and we will not rest until it is fulfilled. Today’s unsealing of criminal charges against five high-ranking CJNG leaders marks another decisive step in our campaign to dismantle the cartels that have plagued this country for far too long.”
DEA leadership framed the escalated enforcement as a focused effort to dismantle CJNG and bring its leadership, facilitators, and corrupt enablers to justice. Officials emphasize that the cartel was formally designated a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025, a classification that unlocked federal tools to pursue financial and criminal disruption. With that designation, prosecutors and investigators gained more avenues to target financing, cross-border facilitation, and the cartel’s international footprint. The combination of indictments and sanctions is intended to squeeze both people and infrastructure that sustain trafficking.
“DEA has never been more focused on dismantling CJNG and bringing its leaders, members, facilitators, and corrupt enablers to justice. As one of the world’s largest narco-terrorist organizations, CJNG poses a serious threat to the United States and our international partners.”
Officials tied the Treasury sanctions to a broader administration aim: deny CJNG the resources used to traffic fentanyl and terrorize communities while holding financiers accountable. Treasury named specific sectors and networks used to launder money and move drug proceeds, arguing the sanctions target the people and businesses that keep the cartel’s machine running. Public statements stress this is not a single strike but an ongoing campaign combining law enforcement, financial pressure, and international cooperation. With El Mencho gone and multiple leaders facing life sentences and a multimillion-dollar bounty, the U.S. is signaling this pressure will continue.
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