Today, the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is announcing reward offers under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction, in any country, of Mexican narcotics trafficker Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, a/k/a “Pez,” and up to $3 million for information leading the arrest and /or conviction of his brother, Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, a/k/a “Fresa.”
The Hurtado Olascoaga brothers are leaders of La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel in Mexico, which was designated by the Secretary of State on February 20 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). This is the first rewards announcement related to an FTO-designated cartel.
The LNFM is a drug cartel based in the State of Mexico and parts of Michoacán and Guerrero.
The DEA estimates the LNFM is responsible for the transportation, importation, and distribution of over 36 metric tons of methamphetamine, 12 metric tons of Mexican heroin, and 12 metric tons of cocaine per year from Mexico into the United States.
Today’s reward offers complement the Department of Justice’s indictment of the Hurtado Olascoaga brothers in the Northern District of Georgia.
The charges include conspiracy to manufacture and distribute controlled substances (specifically, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl) knowing they would be imported into the United States; importation conspiracy; and drug distribution conspiracy. The Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also announced new sanctions today against the Hurtado Olascoaga brothers and two related LNFM members.
Today’s reward offers are authorized by the Secretary under the NRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally and bring fugitives to justice as a key pillar of President Trump’s “America First” priorities.
If you have information, please contact the DEA at +1 404-281-3220 (text/WhatsApp/Signal). If you are located outside of the United States, you can also visit the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. If you are in the United States, you can also contact the local DEA field office.
ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.
