The US Treasury has imposed sanctions on the leader of the Jalisco cartel, a California-born man. Rosalindo Gonzalez, also known as ‘Pelon,’ is the stepson of ‘El Mencho,’ the former leader of the cartel who was injured and captured in a military sweep in Mexico’s Jalisco state in February and died of his injuries en route to the hospital.

Cartel Violence

The killing sparked a wave of violence across Mexico, with the cartel setting up highway blockades and setting fire to vehicles and buildings in 20 of the country’s 32 states. More than 70 people died in that violence, including 25 National Guard members.

In April, Mexican authorities said they had captured two top criminals, including Audias Flores Silva, described as Oseguera’s right-hand man and expected by many to succeed him as the head of CJNG. Silva, who was arrested on April 27 while hiding in a ditch in the western state of Nayarit, was identified by the US Treasury as one of Gonzalez’s deputies.

The US Treasury said in a statement that Thursday’s action ‘disrupts a wide range of criminal activities benefiting CJNG across multiple Mexican states.’ In February 2025, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.

Sanctions and Rewards

‘Today’s 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,’ Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. The statement added that Gonzalez is charged in a US federal drug trafficking case in Washington, with the US State Department offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

Original reporting: KTSA News/Talk (San Antonio) — read the source article.