The United States has dramatically escalated its campaign against Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) by increasing the reward for information leading to the capture of its alleged new leader, Juan Carlos Valencia González, to $25 million, placing him among the world's most wanted fugitives.
The reward, announced Wednesday by the U.S. State Department, matches the amount Washington has offered for figures including Nicolás Maduro and, at one point, Osama bin Laden, underscoring how seriously U.S. authorities view the cartel's role in fentanyl trafficking and transnational organized crime.
The increase comes just months after the death of longtime CJNG leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as "El Mencho," during a Mexican military operation in February. U.S. officials now identify Valencia González, known by aliases including "El Pelón" and "El 03," as the organization's new leader.
The reward is a significant increase from the $5 million bounty first announced by the U.S. State Department in 2021. Officials say the decision reflects Valencia González's alleged rise to the top of one of the world's most powerful drug trafficking organizations.
According to U.S. authorities, Valencia González is accused of overseeing large-scale trafficking of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States while directing a cartel that operates across much of Mexico and has expanded into dozens of countries.
Valencia González occupies a unique position within the CJNG hierarchy.
He is the biological son of Rosalinda González Valencia, who later married El Mencho, making the notorious cartel leader his stepfather. His biological father, Armando Valencia Cornelio, founded the now-defunct Milenio Cartel, a criminal organization that eventually gave rise to the CJNG. Valencia González was born in Santa Ana, California, giving him dual U.S. and Mexican citizenship.
For years, he remained largely in the background while El Mencho consolidated power. Following the imprisonment of El Mencho's son, Rubén Oseguera González ("El Menchito"), and El Mencho's death earlier this year, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Valencia González had emerged as the cartel's new chief.
Five new indictments
The reward announcement accompanied the unsealing of five federal indictments targeting senior CJNG figures.
Among those charged are Julio Alberto Castillo Rodríguez, El Mencho's former son-in-law, and Hugo Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytán, described as El Mencho's godson. They are accused of trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States. Also charged are Ricardo Ruiz Velasco, Julio César Montero Pinzón and Carlos Andrés Rivera Varela. None of the defendants are currently in U.S. custody.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the indictments are part of a broader effort to dismantle the cartel's leadership.
"This Department of Justice is dedicated to eliminating this terrorist organization and seeking justice for the American people," Blanche said while announcing the charges.
Valencia González's bounty is only part of a much larger enforcement action.
U.S. authorities announced more than $100 million in rewards for information leading to the arrest of multiple CJNG leaders. Other rewards range from $2 million to $15 million, while the Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on dozens of individuals and businesses allegedly tied to the cartel's financial network. Visa restrictions have also been imposed on 65 people linked to the organization.
