$25 million reward offered for U.S.-born leader of powerful cartel

The U.S. State Department has increased the reward for information leading to the capture of Juan Carlos González, also known as Pelón, from $5 million to $25 million. This significant upturn in the reward is aimed at crippling the leadership of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a powerful cartel with U.S. origins. The State Department has also increased rewards for other key CJNG figures, including $15 million each for Audias Flores Silva, Sapo, Julio Alberto Castillo Rodríguez, Tripa, El Tarjetas, and La Firma.

The CJNG, designated as a foreign terrorist organization, is responsible for a wide range of criminal activities, including drug smuggling and avocado production. The group's leader, González, is a U.S.-born dual Mexican and U.S. citizen born in Santa Ana, California, on September 12, 1984. The State Department's reward is part of a broader strategy to pressure Mexico and other Latin American nations to crack down on cartel activity, as outlined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.