U.S. Sanctions California-Born Man Named New Jalisco Cartel Leader

The United States announced Thursday a package of sanctions targeting more than 50 Mexican individuals and entities linked to one of Mexico's largest and most violent drug cartels, including the man Washington says has taken over as its new leader.

According to a statement from the Treasury Department, dual U.S.-Mexican national Juan Carlos Gonzalez assumed control of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known by its Spanish acronym CJNG, after the killing of its previous chief, Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho." Oseguera was injured and captured during a military sweep in Mexico's Jalisco state in February and died of his injuries on the way to the hospital.

Gonzalez, also known as "Pelon," is Oseguera's stepson. According to the State Department, he was born in Santa Ana, California, on Sept. 12, 1984. He is charged in a U.S. federal drug trafficking case in Washington, and the State Department is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

The killing of El Mencho set off a wave of violence across Mexico. The cartel set up highway blockades and set fire to vehicles and buildings across 20 of the country's 32 states. More than 70 people died in that violence, including 25 National Guard members.

In April, Mexican authorities said they had captured Audias Flores Silva, known as "The Gardener," who was Oseguera's right-hand man and had been widely expected to succeed him. Silva was arrested April 27 while hiding in a ditch in the western state of Nayarit. The U.S. Treasury identified him as one of Gonzalez's deputies.

CJNG is described as an ultra-violent, Mexico-based paramilitary cartel involved in extortion, money laundering, and running a global drug trafficking network. In February 2025, the Trump administration designated it as a foreign terrorist organization.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that the action "strikes Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion's leadership, financiers, and criminal networks, denying the cartel the resources it uses to traffic fentanyl, terrorize communities, and threaten American lives."

The new sanctions target individuals and companies linked to CJNG leadership through business or family ties, an alleged cocaine trafficking network, and a group of individuals and companies accused of involvement in Mexico's fuel smuggling sector.