The U.S. government announced on Wednesday a $25 million reward for information leading to the capture of Juan Carlos González, also known as "Pelón," significantly increasing pressure on the U.S. citizen who has risen to lead Mexico's most powerful criminal organization.

The reward, raised from a previous $5 million, was part of a broader Trump administration initiative offering a combined $100 million for various leaders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The administration also imposed visa restrictions on family members and business associates connected to the cartel. The offer is administered through the State Department's Narcotics Rewards Program, which has paid out over $135 million to informants since its creation in 1986.

U.S. officials stated that the rewards, coupled with newly unsealed charges against five other high-ranking CJNG leaders, are designed to dismantle the organization's command structure. The move aligns with President Donald Trump's intensified efforts to pressure Mexico and other Latin American nations to support his security agenda.

"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," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters in Washington.

Fentanyl, the deadliest of the narcotics Blanche cited, was linked to the vast majority of the more than 107,000 drug overdose deaths recorded in the United States in 2023, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, making the disruption of supply chains a stated priority for both U.S. law enforcement and public health officials.

CJNG is one of eight Mexican cartels designated by the U.S. as foreign terrorist organizations. The group suffered a major setback in February when its leader, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," was killed by the Mexican military in an operation supported by U.S. intelligence. The killing triggered a surge of violence in the state of Jalisco.

González, Oseguera Cervantes's stepson and a dual citizen of Mexico and the United States, is reported to have assumed control of the cartel, whose operations span from avocado production to large-scale drug trafficking. Cartel infiltration of Mexico's avocado and lime industries, which generate billions in annual exports to the United States, has been documented by Mexican authorities and international researchers, with criminal groups extorting growers and distributors across key agricultural states.

Wednesday's announcement follows sanctions the United States imposed weeks earlier against 50 individuals and entities linked to the cartel, including González himself. Those sanctions froze assets and prohibited U.S. financial transactions with the designated parties.

The CJNG is widely regarded as Mexico's largest cartel, operating in 21 of the country's 32 states with an international reach that extends to the United States and several other nations.

The Trump administration has escalated pressure on the government of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to take stronger action against cartels, including threats of military intervention. Sheinbaum has publicly stated that Mexican sovereignty is non-negotiable while affirming her government's commitment to cooperation on security matters, setting up a delicate diplomatic balance as both governments face domestic pressure to reduce cartel-related violence and drug flows.

Among those named in the newly unsealed indictments are Julio Alberto Castillo Rodriguez, Oseguera Cervantes's former son-in-law, and Hugo Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytan, described by authorities as the former leader's godson. All defendants face drug trafficking and firearms charges.

"This is a fight against CJNG that we are just beginning, and we will not back down," said Terrance Cole, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, in remarks to reporters.

Associated Press reporter Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.