Juan Carlos Valencia González, widely known by his aliases 'El 03' and 'El Pelón,' has turned 42 years old while maintaining his position as the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Born on September 12, 1984, in Santa Ana, California, Valencia holds dual Mexican and U.S. citizenship and is currently one of the most wanted fugitives in the Western Hemisphere. He assumed command of the CJNG following the death of his stepfather, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias 'El Mencho,' who was killed by the Mexican Army in Tapalpa, Jalisco, on February 22, 2026. The U.S. Department of Justice recently increased the reward for information leading to Valencia’s capture from $5 million to $25 million on August 5, 2026. This figure represents the highest bounty ever offered for a Mexican drug trafficker, matching the previous reward for Osama Bin Laden and exceeding the $15 million once offered for El Mencho. The DEA has designated Valencia as its number one priority. Since October 2020, he has faced federal charges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as firearms offenses related to narcotics transactions. Mexican authorities have also linked him to severe criminal activities, including the 2022 kidnapping of two female military personnel in Puerto Vallarta, allegedly ordered in retaliation for the capture of another cartel figure. He is further implicated in the 2016 kidnapping of Jesús Alfredo and Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, the attack on former Jalisco state prosecutor Luis Carlos Nájera, and armed confrontations in Zapotlán El Grande in February 2024. Valencia’s rise to power is deeply rooted in his family’s criminal history; his biological father, Armando Valencia Cornelio, founded the Milenio Cartel, and his maternal uncle, Abigael González Valencia, leads the powerful Los Cuinis organization. With his half-brother and designated heir, Rubén Oseguera González, 'El Menchito,' serving a life sentence in the United States, Valencia now directs the cartel’s operations. The DEA’s current wanted notice describes him as 1.75 meters tall, weighing 77 kilograms, with brown hair and brown eyes. Authorities continue to seek public assistance in locating this high-priority target.