meta_id 3348774

On July 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated over 50 Mexican individuals and entities linked to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), a violent cartel and Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) based in Mexico but active globally. This represents the largest enforcement action the Treasury has taken against CJNG to date. The designations target CJNG's leadership, drug trafficking cells, and illicit finance networks operating across multiple Mexican states. Among those sanctioned is Juan Carlos Gonzalez, also known as "Pelon," who became CJNG's new leader following the death of founder Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," in February 2026. Gonzalez faces a U.S. federal drug trafficking indictment, and the U.S. State Department is offering up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the action "strikes Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion's leadership, financiers, and criminal networks, denying the cartel the resources it uses to traffic fentanyl, terrorize communities, and threaten American lives." CJNG is responsible for a significant proportion of fentanyl and other deadly drugs trafficked into the United States. The cartel employs sophisticated money laundering methodologies and alternative revenue streams, including fuel theft, smuggling, and timeshare fraud. Today's action was taken pursuant to Executive Order 14059, targeting the international proliferation of illicit drugs, and Executive Order 13224, as amended, targeting terrorists and their supporters. OFAC coordinated this action with Mexico's financial intelligence unit, the Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera, and multiple U.S. federal agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. All property and interests in property of the designated individuals and entities in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked. Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in civil or criminal penalties. Financial institutions and other persons risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in transactions involving designated persons.