Cartel sought to buy weapons in exchange for fentanyl, U.S. says

The U.S. Justice Department has charged four members of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, a powerful drug organization in Mexico, with attempting to buy weapons in exchange for fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to wire material. The four suspects, Edgar Alejandro Lopez Velasco, Jose Miguel Alvarado Morales, Noe Diaz Jimenez, and Leobardo Gaxiola Lopez, were arrested in the Czech Republic in June.

Two of the defendants have been extradited to the United States and made court appearances in Tampa, Florida. The remaining two are still awaiting extradition. The charges against the suspects include drug importation conspiracy, firearms trafficking, and other offenses, which could result in life imprisonment. The weapons allegedly purchased included various European machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, mortar launchers, and ammunition.

The cartel members allegedly paid for the weapons with the drugs they imported into the United States. The U.S. has intensified its efforts against the cartel, announcing charges against several high-ranking members and offering a reward of over $100 million for the capture of the cartel's alleged leader, Juan Carlos Gonzalez, also known as Pelón.

Gonzalez was born in Santa Ana, California, on September 12, 1984. The State Department has also designated CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization.