Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez was born in California, and thus is a U.S. citizen; he’s also a Mexican citizen.
Valencia is now the boss of the CJNG (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación) , which is now Mexico’s most powerful drug cartel.
I wrote about Valencia Gonzalez this past March, in the article Can a U.S. Citizen Run a Mexican Drug Cartel? I pointed out that the U.S. government alreay had a 5 million dollar bounty on Valencia’s head, and I wrote that
Valencia already had a 5 million dollar bounty on his head and I wrote “That bounty will probably be increased soon”.
Well, sure enough, on August 5th, 2026, the U.S. government quintupled Valencia’s bounty to 25 million dollars!
Anybody need any extra spending money?
The U.S. government also has bounties on other CJNG leaders:
1. Audia Flores Silva, “Jardinero”, Increase of 5 million to 15 million
2. Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytan, “Sapo” (Toad), up to 15 million dollars
3. Julio Alberto Castillo Rodriguez, “Chorro”, 15 million
4. Ricardo Ruiz Velasco, “Tripa”, 10 million
5. Julio Cesar Montero Pinzon, “El Tarjetas”, 10 million
6. Carlos Andres Rivera Varela, “La Firma”, 10 million
7. Griselda Margarita Arredondo Pinzon, 2 million
Regarding Audias Flores Silva, the “Jardinero” (Gardener), he is already in Mexican custody, See “The Gardener” Captured by Mexican Navy Special Forces. Maybe the U.S. government can get The Gardener extradited.
Here’s an excerpt from the government media note: “In a historic and decisive action in support of President Trump’s mission to eliminate narco-terrorist cartels threatening the American people, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is announcing reward offers under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) and Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) totaling up to $102 million for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions, in any country, of eight leaders and associates of Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). These rewards are offered in coordination with the DOJ, DEA, FBI, HSI, IRS, CBP, and the National Coordination Center.”
There are also visa restrictions involved: “Additionally, the Department [of State] is imposing visa restrictions on 65 individuals who are family members or close personal or business associates of persons linked to CJNG (who have been sanctioned under Executive Order 14059, Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade). Twenty-six of those individuals had existing visas, which have now been revoked. Since announcing this visa restriction policy in June 2025, a total of 93 visas have been revoked from family members and associates of sanctioned drug traffickers connected to FTO-designated cartels. Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio’s leadership, violent cartel operatives and their criminal facilitators are no longer able to enter our country and terrorize the American people.”
And, “Today’s reward offers complement the Department of Justice’s announcement of the unsealing of charges against Mendoza Gaytán, Castillo Rodríguez, Ruiz Velasco, Montero Pinzón, and Rivera Varela.”