The US Department of Justice has unsealed five indictments against high-ranking leaders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, while the State Department announced stringent visa sanctions and record monetary rewards.
On Wednesday, August 5, 2026, American authorities launched a coordinated offensive against one of Mexico's most powerful drug cartels, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The US Department of Justice, led by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, unsealed five separate indictments against alleged high-ranking cartel leaders. Simultaneously, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the imposition of visa restrictions on 65 individuals and the revocation of 26 previously issued visas for family members and associates linked to the cartel, while offering rewards exceeding $100 million for information crucial to arrests.
"The United States is hunting, dismantling, and destroying the Jalisco New Generation Cartel," Rubio wrote on platform X, confirming that the State Department is offering rewards totaling more than $100 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of cartel leaders and associates.
This offensive represents a continuation of the Trump administration's pressure on the cartel, whose former leader, Nemesio Oseguera, also known as "El Mencho," was killed in a Mexican military raid in February 2026.
Among those indicted are Julio Alberto Castillo Rodriguez, the former son-in-law of the slain leader Nemesio Oseguera, and Hugo Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytan, Oseguera's godson. Both are charged with trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States. Other defendants include Ricardo Ruiz Velasco, Julio Cesar Montero Pinzon, and Carlos Andres Rivera Varela. According to available information, the five defendants are not in US custody and have not appeared in court to face the charges.
The State Department has also increased the reward to $25 million for information leading to the arrest or capture of the new CJNG leader, Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez, known as "El Pelon."
CJNG is considered one of the most powerful and violent drug cartels in Mexico. The organization is involved in international drug trafficking, including the production and smuggling of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, and is also linked to murders, kidnappings, extortion, and money laundering. The cartel operates across much of Mexico and in numerous other countries, which is why US authorities consider it one of the greatest threats to international security.
