The Trump administration has made combating drug trafficking organizations in Latin America a staple of its homeland security policies. Since January 2025, it has relabeled them as foreign terrorist organizations in an attempt to combat them and, according to reports, is considering increasing the rewards offered for the leaders of Los Chapitos.
According to information obtained from authorities by Mexican outlet Milenio, the United States is expected to seek higher rewards for the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán who remain fugitives, similar to what officials did just days ago with Juan Carlos Valencia González, also known as "El 03," the new Jalisco New Generation Cartel boss who took over the goup following the death of his stepfather, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho," in February.
Currently, the U.S. government, through its various agencies, offers a large number of rewards totaling more than $211 million for information leading to the capture of more than 30 cartel leaders, according to data from the State Department's Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program cited by Milenio.
State Department sources told the outlet that the programs have produced results, and they expect the Trump administration to continue betting on larger rewards to obtain better results.
As noted by the outlet, of the 34 rewards offered by the U.S. government, 18 are for members or associates of the Sinaloa Cartel, while eight are for members of the CJNG. Recently, U.S. officials increased the reward for information leading to Valencia González's capture to $25 million, the same amount that was at one point offered for individuals such as Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and even Nicolás Maduro.
As for El Chapo's sons, the two who remain fugitives have had rewards in place for information leading to their capture since 2022. Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, the leader of the faction known as Los Chapitos, remains a top target for U.S. forces, while his younger brother, Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, is the organization's second-in-command.
In April, the U.S. government increased the reward for both men from $5 million to $10 million each, and according to sources who spoke with Milenio, the same approach is expected to be repeated in the near future.
TWO DOWN AND TWO TO GO WITH $10M REWARD!
— Homeland Security Investigations (@HSI_HQ) July 6, 2026
These infamous brothers, known as “Los Chapitos,” inherited drug trafficking networks from their notorious father Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera.
Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzmán Salazar remain at large, and there… pic.twitter.com/Xj7imc1zzt
According to InSight Crime, Iván Archivaldo was first charged in the Southern District of California in July 2014. Since then, he has faced additional charges for coordinating the trafficking of fentanyl into the United States and the shipment of chemical precursors from China to Mexico.
The U.S. Treasury Department says Jesús Alfredo is his brother's lieutenant and is responsible for torturing rivals to obtain information about infiltrations in areas of Sinaloa controlled by Los Chapitos. He faces the same charges as his older brother Iván.
