U.S. Department of State

09/16/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/16/2025 10:10

Reward Offer of up to $5 Million for Information Leading to Arrest and/or Conviction of Sinaloa Cartel Leader El Ruso

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Reward Offer of up to $5 Million for Information Leading to Arrest and/or Conviction of Sinaloa Cartel Leader El Ruso

Press Statement

Thomas "Tommy" Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson

September 16, 2025

Today, the Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is announcing a reward offer of up to $5 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Sinaloa Cartel leader Juan José Ponce Félix, a/k/a "Jesús Alexandro Sanchez Félix" and "El Ruso," for violating U.S. narcotics laws.

According to the FBI, Ponce Félix is the founder and leader of Los Rusos, the primary armed wing of La Mayiza. La Mayiza is a powerful faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization co-founded and led by Ismael Zambada Garcia, a/k/a "El Mayo." The cartel's La Mayiza faction manages the production and trafficking of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine from northwest Mexico into the United States.

Over the past decade, Ponce Félix has been indicted several times in the Central and Southern Districts of California on racketeering, drug trafficking, firearms, and money laundering charges.

Today's reward offer is authorized by the Secretary under the NRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally and bring fugitives of FTO-designated cartels to justice as a key pillar of President Trump's "America First" priorities. If you have information, please contact the DEA by phone (voice/text/WhatsApp/Signal) at +52-55 2312 3768 or by email at [email protected]. If you are located outside of the United States, you may also visit the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are located in the United States, you may also contact the local DEA or FBI field office.

ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.

Tags

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Counterterrorism Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Drugs and Drug Trafficking Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Mexico Narcotics Reward Program Office of the Spokesperson
U.S. Department of State published this content on September 16, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 16, 2025 at 16:10 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]