US offers over $100M in rewards targeting Mexico's CJNG cartel

The US State Department on Wednesday announced reward offers totaling more than $100 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of eight leaders and associates of Mexico’s Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), while imposing new visa restrictions on dozens of people linked to the group.

In a statement, the department said the rewards, totaling up to $102 million, were being offered through the Narcotics Rewards Program and the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.

The action was coordinated with the Justice Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service, Customs and Border Protection, and the National Coordination Center.

The CJNG was designated in 2025 as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity.

“CJNG is among the most violent and dangerous narco-terrorist organizations in our Hemisphere, and poisons American communities with illicit fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine,” the department said.

The largest reward, of up to $25 million, is being offered for information leading to the capture of Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez, also known as “Pelon.”

The US identifies him as the new leader of the CJNG following the recent death of its founder, Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.”

In addition to the reward offers, the department imposed visa restrictions on 65 family members and close personal or business associates of people linked to the CJNG who were sanctioned under Executive Order 14059.

The department said 26 existing US visas were also revoked as part of the action.