Juan Carlos Gonzalez sanctions target alleged new Jalisco cartel chief
U.S. sanctions hit more than 50 people and entities tied to CJNG, including California-born Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Treasury said.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
3 min read
The U.S. announced Juan Carlos Gonzalez sanctions on Thursday as part of a wider action against more than 50 Mexican people and entities that officials say are tied to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful drug organizations.
The Treasury Department said Gonzalez, a dual U.S.-Mexican citizen also known as “Pelon,” took control of the cartel after the February killing of Nemesio Oseguera, the longtime boss widely known as “El Mencho.” Treasury described the move as a strike at the cartel’s leadership, money channels and criminal networks.
According to the State Department, Gonzalez was born in Santa Ana, California, on Sept. 12, 1984. U.S. officials say he is charged in a federal drug trafficking case in Washington, and the State Department is offering up to $5 million for information that leads to his arrest or conviction.
Who is Juan Carlos Gonzalez?
Gonzalez is Oseguera’s stepson, according to the Treasury Department. U.S. officials now identify him as the leader of CJNG, the cartel known by the initials of its Spanish name, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion.
The cartel is based in Mexico and has been accused by U.S. officials of extortion, money laundering and operating an international drug trafficking network. In February 2025, the Trump administration designated CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the department’s announcement that the sanctions deny CJNG resources used to traffic fentanyl, threaten communities and endanger Americans.
What happened after El Mencho was killed?
Oseguera was injured and captured during a military operation in Mexico’s Jalisco state in February, then died from his wounds while being taken to a hospital, according to the account cited by U.S. officials.
His death was followed by cartel violence across Mexico. The cartel set up road blockades and burned vehicles and buildings in 20 of Mexico’s 32 states, according to the reporting cited by CBS News. More than 70 people were killed, including 25 National Guard members.
Mexican authorities said in April that they had captured two senior criminal figures, including Audias Flores Silva, known as “The Gardener.” He had been described as Oseguera’s right-hand man and was seen by many as a possible successor before Gonzalez was identified by Treasury as the cartel’s new chief.
Flores Silva was arrested April 27 while hiding in a ditch in the western state of Nayarit. Treasury identified him as one of Gonzalez’s deputies.
What do the sanctions cover?
The sanctions target people and companies that U.S. officials say are connected to CJNG leaders through business or family relationships. Treasury said those networks help the cartel hide or launder assets.
The action also covers an alleged cocaine trafficking operation and people and businesses accused of roles in Mexico’s fuel smuggling sector. Treasury said the sanctions are meant to disrupt criminal activity benefiting CJNG in several Mexican states.
The move follows another Treasury action last month, when officials issued a bank alert focused on CJNG. The Office of Foreign Assets Control also sanctioned two men and nine companies in transportation, finance and real estate that officials said were connected to a cartel-linked fuel theft operation designed to avoid Mexican taxes and generate tens of millions of dollars a year for the cartel.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.