Mexico joins US sanctions against 55 people, companies linked to the Jalisco Cartel
Jalisco Cartel (CJNG)
Mexico City, Jul 23 (EFE).
The Mexican government blocked on Thursday the accounts of 55 individuals and companies sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury for belonging to an alleged financial network of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the Latin American country.
The Mexican Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) announced the measure in a statement, framing it as part of “bilateral cooperation actions to combat the finances of organized crime.”
After the White House Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 39 individuals and 16 entities linked to the CJNG, Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) conducted an analysis that identified “indicators related to potential transactions with illicit resources, including cash operations and the acquisition of high-end vehicles, jewelry, and real estate.”
Additionally, Mexican authorities detected potential “inconsistencies between income reported to tax authorities and resources observed in the financial system.”
The FIU concluded that these entities “display characteristics of shell companies or corporate structures with limited or zero apparent economic activity.”
As a result, the FIU filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and added the individuals linked by the US to organized crime to the List of Blocked Persons (LPB), along with eight others accused of being part of the same CJNG network.
“Coordinated actions between Mexican and US authorities strengthen international cooperation mechanisms to prevent the misuse of the financial system, combat money laundering, and weaken the economic structures of organized crime,” the government agency stated.
Among those sanctioned is Juan Carlos González, alias “Pelón,” identified by US authorities as the new leader of the CJNG following the recent death of his stepfather and the group’s founder, Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “el Mencho.” Oseguera Cervantes was killed in Feb. 2026 during a federal operation in the mountains of Jalisco, the cartel’s historic stronghold.
González, who holds both Mexican and US citizenship, is also the subject of a reward of up to 5 million dollars offered by the US Department of State.
Among the entities accused of being part of the drug trafficking financial network are companies dedicated to the sale of alcoholic beverages and gas companies managed by individuals close to “El Jardinero.”
In 2025, Washington designated the CJNG as a terrorist organization along with other drug cartels in Mexico, in a context marked by increased pressure from the White House on the neighboring country in the fight against organized crime.
