August 5, 2026 / 2:04 PM EDT
/ CBS/AP
Add CBS News on Google
The State Department on Wednesday offered a $25 million reward for information leading to the capture of Juan Carlos González, or "Pelón," scaling up pressure on a U.S. citizen who has emerged as the figurehead of Mexico's most powerful cartel. The reward was bumped up from $5 million. The Trump administration offered a total of $102 million in rewards for various leaders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, and restricted the visas of family members and business associates of cartel members. The State Department said it was aimed at "crippling the organization's leadership" while President Trump has ramped up pressure on Mexico and other Latin American nations to carry out his security agenda. CJNG is among eight Mexican cartels designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The group was dealt a blow in February when leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, or "El Mencho," was killed by the Mexican military. The U.S. provided intelligence for the operation, which resulted in a burst in violence in the state of Jalisco. González, Oseguera Cervantes's stepson and a dual Mexican and U.S. citizen, is reported to have taken control of the cartel, which is involved in everything from avocado production to drug smuggling. According to the State Department, Gonzalez was born in Santa Ana, California, on Sept. 12, 1984.
