4th December, 2024
The U.S. Department of State has announced an increase in the reward offer to up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho.”
El Mencho is the notorious leader of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The cartel is infamous for trafficking fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the United States, fueling the ongoing opioid crisis.
A statement from the Department on Wednesday said Cervantes, a Mexican national, has been a fugitive since 2017, as he has been indicted multiple times in the U.S. for his role in large-scale drug trafficking operations.
In April 2022, he was charged with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, and the use of firearms in relation to drug trafficking crimes.
The U.S. Department of State said it is increasing the reward as part of its Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP), which aims to support law enforcement efforts in bringing major narcotics offenders to justice.
The DEA has also extended reward offers of up to $5 million for information on other key CJNG figures, Audias Flores-Silva and Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez.
