The United States government has raised to $25 million the reward for information leading to the capture of Juan Carlos Valencia González, known as "El Pelón," the stepson of the late leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho." The reward, increased from $5 million, is part of a package of more than $100 million in rewards for eight alleged leaders of the cartel, along with new charges against five other high-ranking leaders, announced by the Justice Department on Wednesday. The department said the measures were aimed at crippling the organisation's leadership while President Donald Trump has stepped up pressure on Mexico and other Latin American nations to carry out his security agenda.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters that "these sophisticated organizations use violence and fear to maintain control over the importation of deadly narcotics in the United States, including fentanyl, cocaine, meth, and other illegal drugs. Their actions spread violence and death to our communities." The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, said: "This is a fight against CJNG that we are just beginning, and we will not back down." Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the campaign as a "hunt" against the group, vowing to "demolish and destroy" it. Cole also asserted that the cartel has "members of the government of Mexico" as allies. The offensive also carries a political dimension, pressing President Claudia Sheinbaum to act against politicians linked to organised crime, according to the Mexican newspaper El Financiero.

In a documentary aired by the German YouTube channel ARTE, an unidentified member of the CJNG's special units publicly confirmed that Valencia González has assumed command of the organisation. "El Mencho always will be our leader, but now our commander is 03," the man said, adding that "whoever challenges his power will be punished." The same individual accused Mexican politicians and federal authorities of being "corrupted to the bone" and claimed that other cartels receive official protection. The documentary also showed the group's arsenal, including a Minimi machine gun and a .50-calibre rifle.

The CJNG's structure has been described as operating like a franchise system rather than a centralised command, according to journalist José Luis Montenegro, author of a recent book on the cartel. He said the organisation has cells across Mexico and in dozens of countries, and derives revenue from extortion, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, illegal mining and fuel theft. The cartel was dealt a blow in February when El Mencho was killed by the Mexican military in an operation supported by US intelligence. Washington has designated the CJNG as a foreign terrorist organisation and has imposed sanctions on 50 people and companies linked to it, in addition to visa restrictions on family members and business associates of cartel members. The reward for Valencia González, a dual US-Mexican citizen who lived for years near Los Angeles, matches the amount Washington once offered for Osama bin Laden.

The new charges and rewards are the latest step in an ongoing US campaign against the cartel's leadership and financial networks. No further steps were specified, but officials indicated the offensive would continue. Both the documentary and Montenegro's book argue that the organisation is designed to outlive its leaders, with the journalist comparing it to the many-headed hydra of Greek mythology.