State Department Increases Reward for Cartel Leader Juan Carlos González

On Wednesday, the State Department raised its reward to $25 million for information leading to the capture of Juan Carlos González, known as ‘Pelón.’ He has become a key figure in Mexico’s most powerful cartel. Previously, the reward was $5 million. This development is part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration, which has offered $102 million in rewards for leaders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and has imposed visa restrictions on family and associates of cartel members.

The State Department’s efforts are aimed at weakening the cartel’s leadership. President Trump has intensified pressure on Mexico and other Latin American countries to support his security goals. CJNG is recognized as one of eight Mexican cartels classified as a foreign terrorist organization. A significant event occurred in February when Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, or ‘El Mencho,’ the former leader, was killed by the Mexican military, with U.S. intelligence aiding the operation. This incident sparked violence in Jalisco.

González, Oseguera Cervantes’s stepson, holds dual citizenship in Mexico and the U.S., and reportedly took over the cartel, which engages in activities from avocado farming to drug trafficking. The State Department reports that Gonzalez was born on September 12, 1984, in Santa Ana, California.

Juan Carlos González, alias ‘Pelón,’ – U.S. State Department

The expanded reward offerings include up to $15 million for Audias Flores Silva, known as ‘El Jardinero,’ $15 million each for Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytán, ‘Sapo,’ and Julio Alberto Castillo Rodríguez, ‘Chorro,’ $10 million each for Ricardo Ruiz Velasco, ‘Tripa,’ Julio César Montero Pinzón, ‘El Tarjetas,’ and Carlos Andrés Rivera Varela, ‘La Firma,’ and $2 million for Griselda Margarita Arredondo Pinzón.

This action follows recent sanctions by the Trump administration on 50 individuals and companies linked to the cartel, including González. These sanctions froze their assets and prevented U.S. financial transactions. CJNG is considered Mexico’s largest cartel, operating in 21 of 32 states, and its reach extends to several countries, including the U.S.

‘The United States is hunting down, dismantling, and destroying Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación,’ said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Trump administration has applied further pressure on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to take strong action against cartels, even suggesting military intervention against these groups. In June, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a new bank alert targeting the cartel, sanctioning two individuals and nine companies involved in sectors such as transportation and financial services. These entities are accused of participating in a cartel-linked fuel theft operation to avoid Mexican taxes while generating substantial revenue for the cartel.