In a historic and decisive action in support of President Trump's mission to eliminate narco-terrorist cartels threatening the American people, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is announcing reward offers under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) and Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) totaling up to $102 million for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions, in any country, of eight leaders and associates of Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). These rewards are offered in coordination with the DOJ, DEA, FBI, HSI, IRS, CBP, and the National Coordination Center.
Last year, the Trump Administration designated CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). CJNG is among the most violent and dangerous narco-terrorist organizations in our Hemisphere, and poisons American communities with illicit fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
The reward offers include up to $25 million (an increase from up to $5 million) for Juan Carlos Valencia González, a.k.a. "Pelón," the new leader of CJNG following the recent death of his stepfather, CJNG founder Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, a.k.a. "El Mencho"; up to $15 million (an increase from up to $5 million) for Audias Flores Silva, a.k.a. "Jardinero"; up to $15 million each for Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytán, a.k.a. "Sapo," and Oseguera Cervantes' son-in-law, Julio Alberto Castillo Rodríguez, a.k.a. "Chorro"; up to $10 million each for Ricardo Ruiz Velasco, a.k.a. "Tripa," Julio César Montero Pinzón, a.k.a. "El Tarjetas," and Carlos Andrés Rivera Varela, a.k.a. "La Firma"; and up to $2 million for Griselda Margarita Arredondo Pinzón. These reward offers support our U.S. law enforcement partners in crippling the organization's leadership.
Additionally, the Department is imposing visa restrictions on 65 individuals who are family members or close personal or business associates of persons linked to CJNG (who have been sanctioned under Executive Order 14059, Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade). Twenty-six of those individuals had existing visas, which have now been revoked. Since announcing this visa restriction policy in June 2025, a total of 93 visas have been revoked from family members and associates of sanctioned drug traffickers connected to FTO-designated cartels. Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio's leadership, violent cartel operatives and their criminal facilitators are no longer able to enter our country and terrorize the American people.
Today's reward offers complement the Department of Justice's announcement of the unsealing of charges against Mendoza Gaytán, Castillo Rodríguez, Ruiz Velasco, Montero Pinzón, and Rivera Varela.
Today's reward offers are authorized by the Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs under the NRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational drug trafficking globally and bring fugitives to justice, and the TOCRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational organized crime globally. The NRP, which was established in 1986, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and, along with its sister program, the TOCRP, has brought more than 90 transnational criminals and major narcotics traffickers to justice and paid out more than $200 million for information leading to apprehensions and other qualifying outcomes.
