Trump administration offers $25 million reward for California-born leader of Mexico's most powerful cartel

Key Points:

• The U.S. State Department increased its reward to $25 million for information leading to the capture of Juan Carlos González, aka "Pelón," a U.S. citizen and current leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
• The CJNG is one of eight Mexican cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations, and González reportedly took control after the death of former leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes ("El Mencho").
• Additional rewards of up to $15 million were offered for other cartel figures, with recent U.S. sanctions freezing assets and blocking transactions linked to the cartel and its members.
• The Trump administration has intensified pressure on Mexico to combat the CJNG, threatening military action and demanding stronger crackdowns amid the cartel's extensive operations across Mexico and beyond.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the U.S. commitment to dismantling the CJNG, highlighting the group's significant criminal influence in 21 Mexican states and international reach.