The United States has announced charges against several high-ranking members of one of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels and increased reward money for the capture of its leaders to more than $100 million.
The indictments of five members of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, known by its Spanish acronym CJNG, were unveiled at a press conference by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“These cartel members have been charged with a range of crimes including running drug networks, organising highly trained hitmen responsible for murders… procuring weapons, money laundering and deadly drug manufacturing and distribution,” Blanche said on Wednesday.
CJNG was designated a “foreign terrorist organisation” by the Trump administration last year and is accused of running an ultra-violent global network trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
In an announcement coinciding with the indictments, the State Department said it was raising to more than $100 million the total reward money for information leading to the arrest of top CJNG leaders, several of whom were indicted previously.
The reward for the capture of the new leader of CJNG, Juan Carlos Gonzalez, known as “Pelon,” was increased from $5 million to $25 million.
Gonzalez allegedly took control of the cartel after the killing of his stepfather, CJNG founder Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, earlier this year.
Reward money ranging from $2 million to $15 million was offered for information leading to the arrest of several other cartel leaders.
