The United States government offered a $25 million reward for information leading to the capture of Juan Carlos González, known as “Pelón,” in August 2026, scaling up pressure on a U.S. citizen who has emerged as the figurehead of Mexico’s most powerful cartel.
The reward was bumped up from $5 million. The U.S. government offered a total of $100 million in rewards for various leaders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and restricted the visas of family members and business associates of cartel members.
U.S. officials said the rewards, along with newly unsealed charges against five other high-ranking leaders, were aimed at crippling the organization’s leadership while the U.S. government has ramped up pressure on Mexico and other Latin American nations to carry out its security agenda.
“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 on August 5.
CJNG is among eight Mexican cartels designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The group was dealt a blow in February when leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho,” was killed by the Mexican military. The U.S. provided intelligence for the operation, which resulted in a burst of violence in the state of Jalisco.
González, Oseguera Cervantes’ stepson and a dual Mexican and U.S. citizen, is reported to have taken control of the cartel, which is involved in everything from avocado production to drug smuggling.
The move comes a few weeks after the United States imposed sanctions against 50 people and companies linked with the cartel, including González. The sanctions froze assets and blocked U.S. financial transactions with those cited.
The cartel is considered the largest in Mexico, with a presence in 21 of its 32 states. Its operations have extended to several countries, including the U.S.
Among those charged in the newly unsealed indictments are Oseguera Cervantes’ former son-in-law, Julio Alberto Castillo Rodriguez, and Hugo Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytan, whom authorities described as the former leader’s godson. All the defendants are charged with drug trafficking and firearms offenses, officials said.
“This is a fight against CJNG that we are just beginning, and we will not back down,” Terrance Cole, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, told reporters.