Justice Department Hits 'La Nueva Familia Michoacana' Cartel with Indictments and Sanctions in Major Crackdown

The Justice Department has unsealed indictments against the co-leaders of La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), a Mexican drug cartel designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the Trump administration. The announcement is part of a broader federal crackdown targeting violent drug trafficking operations and associated financial networks.

Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, the leaders of the criminal organization, were charged with multiple conspiracy counts related to the manufacturing, importation, and distribution of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. The brothers, who are fugitives believed to reside in Mexico, are accused of orchestrating the movement of large volumes of narcotics across the U.S.-Mexico border, including into the Atlanta area.

Alongside the indictments, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against the Hurtado brothers and two additional siblings, Ubaldo and Adita Hurtado Olascoaga.

OFAC detailed that Ubaldo serves as a senior LNFM leader involved in extortion, narcotics trafficking, and overseeing hitmen, while Adita laundered cartel proceeds through U.S.-based used clothing stores and facilitated arms trafficking.

"Today's action underscores our commitment to intensify the pressure on violent drug cartels like LNFM," said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. "The Trump Administration will continue to use all available tools to target the cartels and other violent organizations that attempt to exploit our communities and harm Americans."

Attorney General Pam Bondi added:

"Today's indictments and OFAC sanctions against high-ranking LNFM cartel members sends a clear message: if you contribute to the death of Americans by peddling poison into our communities, we will work relentlessly to find you and bring you to justice"

The LNFM cartel has been linked to the trafficking of more than 36 metric tons of methamphetamine, 12 metric tons of heroin, and 12 metric tons of cocaine annually. Beyond drug trafficking, LNFM is also accused of human smuggling, using drones to drop explosives on rivals, and terrorizing Mexican communities through kidnappings and extortion.

The Department of State has announced rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and up to $3 million for Jose Alfredo. The multi-agency investigation, which began in 2021, falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative launched in March by the Trump Administration to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and prosecute undocumented individuals engaged in drug trafficking.