The United States government continues to employ one of its most visible strategies against organized crime: paying rewards for information leading to the capture of high-priority targets.
According to information published by Milenio, the total reward pool has reached $94 million and is aimed at 15 drug traffickers who, according to authorities, continue to operate in Mexico and have a direct impact on drug trafficking into the United States.
The information comes from the U.S. State Department, which publishes and updates these wanted posters as part of its security policy and international cooperation.
The list is headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), for whom the highest individual reward is offered.
Following them are Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, as well as Juan José Farías Álvarez, “El Abuelo,” identified as the leader of the United Cartels in Michoacán. These rewards are not only aimed at the capture of specific individuals.
They also seek to weaken drug trafficking networks, transportation routes, and financial structures that, according to Washington, continue to fuel the flow of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl into the United States.
The State Department is offering $15 million for information leading to the capture of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” considered the main leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
According to U.S. authorities, the CJNG was formed in 2009 and is now considered one of the groups with the greatest capacity to traffic cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in Mexico. In recent years, it has also been implicated in a significant role in fentanyl trafficking into the United States.
Under the leadership of (Nemesio) Oseguera Cervantes, the CJNG has been responsible for numerous homicides of rival drug cartel members and Mexican law enforcement officers,” the State Department report states.
It further details that since 2017, Oseguera Cervantes has been indicted multiple times in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The most recent indictment, filed on April 5, 2022, charges him with: “Conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance (methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl) for the purpose of illegal importation into the United States, as well as the use of firearms during and in connection with drug trafficking offenses.”
After “El Mencho,” the highest rewards, up to $10 million each, are offered for:
Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, “El Chapito”
Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, “Alfredito”
Juan José Farías Álvarez, “El Abuelo”
Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo, sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, are identified as leaders of a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. U.S. authorities consider them among the main figures responsible for fentanyl trafficking.
The Treasury Department has sanctioned this faction, known as Los Chapitos, as well as business networks in Sinaloa, accusing them of drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, and money laundering. The DEA, for its part, maintains that Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo are fugitives, wanted for conspiracy and other federal charges related to drugs and weapons.
According to official reports, Iván Archivaldo is not seen merely as an heir. Authorities describe him as a figure capable of maintaining and reorganizing criminal structures, even after operations against him.
His influence is not limited to Sinaloa. He is attributed with a presence and operational networks in:
Sonora
Baja California California
Chihuahua
Durango
Coahuila
Zacatecas
Nayarit
Jalisco
Colima
Guerrero
State of Mexico
Mexico City
Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo
This territorial reach explains why it is considered a priority target for U.S. security agencies.
Source: elimparcial
