The United States is sanctioning La Mayiza, a/k/a "Los Mayos," a menacing faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. The cartel's La Mayiza faction manages the production and trafficking of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine from northwest Mexico into the United States.
Today's sanction actions also target Juan José Ponce Félix, a/k/a "Jesus Alexandro Sanchez Felix" and "El Ruso," the leader of La Mayiza's primary armed wing, and one of the cartel's regional networks. On September 16, 2025, the Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement affairs announced a reward offer of up to $5 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ponce Félix.
The Sinaloa Cartel is a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) based in Mexico. The United States is committed to keeping the American people safe from dangerous FTOs that plague the country's streets with illicit drugs.
