U.S. charges sibling leaders of ruthless Mexico cartel, offers $8 million reward for information leading to their capture
Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, are accused of participating in a conspiracy to manufacture cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl and importing and distributing the drugs in the United States, authorities said during a news conference in Atlanta. The newly unsealed three-count indictment was returned by a grand jury in September.
The two brothers are the leaders of
La Nueva Familia Michoacana
, a Mexican cartel that was formally designated by the U.S. government in February as a "foreign terrorist organization," authorities said.
"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," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a
statement
.
The State Department is offering up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and up to $3 million for information about Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, who also goes by the name "The Strawberry." Both men are believed to be in Mexico, officials said.
Separately the U.S. Treasury
announced new sanctions
Wednesday against the two men and well as two other alleged leaders of the cartel, which the U.S. designates as a "foreign terrorist organization."
In addition to drug trafficking, the Familia Michoacana cartel has also engaged in extortions, kidnappings and murders, according to U.S. prosecutors.
Last year, a Mexican human rights organization reported that a community in the southern state of Guerrero was attacked by drones and gunmen allegedly from La Familia Michoacana drug cartel. At least
six people were killed
and 13 others injured, the state prosecutor's office said.
In 2023, the cartel is suspected of leaving a
severed human leg
found hanging from a pedestrian bridge just west of Mexico City. Officials said the trunk of the body was left on the street below, near the city's center, along with handwritten signs signed by the Familia Michoacana cartel.
The cartel "has utilized drones to drop bombs on its rivals, with utter disregard for Mexico's civilian population.," the U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday. "They also terrorize local communities through kidnappings, killings, and extortion."
In 2022, a man identifying himself as one of the cartel's leaders
posted a video
on social media claiming that an attack that
killed 20 people
was in fact aimed at him.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
an hour ago
Witness recounts Midtown Manhattan office building shooting: 'I texted my parents that I loved them'
Jessica Chen was watching a presentation on the second floor of 345 Park Ave. in Midtown Manhattan on Monday evening with about 150 people when she said she heard multiple gunshots fired"in quick succession" on the floor below her. She rushed into a conference room with dozens of others, where they eventually barricaded themselves in the room using tables and "just stayed still," she told ABC News Live in a phone interview Monday night. "I think it was very, very apparent through all this that a lot of us were young, a lot of us went through training in elementary school of what to do in an active shooter situation," she said. "We were all unfortunately prepared." A man wearing body armor and carrying a high-powered rifle had shot and killed at least four people, including an off-duty police officer working security at the building, police sources told ABC News. After apparently barricading himself on the 33rd floor, the suspect was found dead from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, sources added. Amid the active situation, people desperately searched for places to hide in the conference room on the second floor, Chen said. "We were hiding behind the large monitor. A lot of people were on the ground. We flipped a lot of the tables up," she said. "Some people, if they were a bit later getting there, they really, unfortunately, had to just pull curtains over themselves." Chen said someone in the room with her had a "direct line" with police who were able to update them as the incident unfolded and told them to stay in place. She said a lot of people were also on their phones, checking for updates on the situation and reaching out to loved ones. "I texted my parents that I loved them," she said. "I texted people good in my life that I love them." She said those in the room tried to help each other stay calm as much as possible. "We were honestly really, really scared," she said. "Every American has likely thought through the situation of what should they do if an active shooter happened? I've gone through some semi-close cases in elementary school, but even then, nothing could have prepared any of us." "I think all of us were frozen," she continued. "All of us were shocked. Nothing could describe that feeling." Once they confirmed the shooter was on the 33rd floor, police had them walk out slowly in an orderly fashion, she said. She said she wasn't wearing shoes when she left and stepped on glass, though was otherwise doing OK. "I think that a lot of the people I've talked to, we're all coming to the same conclusion that this happens too often in America," Chen said. "We really do thank all the schools from across America that make sure to very regularly train their students on exactly what to do in situations like this." "It's very unfortunate that all Americans have had to think it through, but it is the reality of the world we live in," she added.
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Two Mexican nationals held in Florida detention center return home without charges
Brothers Carlos Martín and Oscar Alejandro Gonzalez — both of whom are Mexican nationals — were released from the Florida detention center in the Everglades known as 'Alligator Alcatraz' after being detained earlier this month. The 26-year-old Carlos Martín was pulled over by Florida Highway Patrol officers in Orlando on July 7 because the car he was driving had overly tinted windows and a Mexican license plate, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The state trooper ran the vehicle's plates and said it had no valid registration. Carlos Martín explained that it belonged to this older brother; but when Oscar Alejandro arrived to prove ownership, neither his name nor his brother's was registered on the title. Carlos Martín was subsequently booked for driving an unregistered car and taken to a county jail. The circumstances regarding Oscar Alejandro's detention are unclear, as there was no arrest record released. The younger Gonzalez brother had been visiting his sibling in Orlando on a tourist visa. Oscar Alejandro, who is married to a U.S. citizen, has an expired residence permit, according to El País. In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, the brothers' father, Martin Gonzalez, said his sons were transferred to the Everglades immigration detention center after spending three days in a county jail. After flying from Mexico to Orlando, Martin Gonzalez was able to get into contact over the phone with his sons and the Mexican Consulate. '[My sons] tell me they are scared and desperate to get back to their home country,' Martin Gonzalez said. 'They say it's a closed place with artificial lights on 24 hours a day, and they don't know what time it is, or if it's day or night.' But after several weeks of detention, Roberto Velasco Álvarez — the head of the North American unit at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs — confirmed on Sunday that the brothers had returned to Mexico without charges. 'Regarding the case of the two brothers detained in 'Alligator Alcatraz,' [Consul of Mexico in Orlando Juan Sabines Guerrero] informs us that both are now in our country without charges and with their valid documents,' Álvarez said in a post from his official X account. 'The dialogue with local and federal authorities enabled the voluntary departure of the young people this weekend.' In a Tuesday morning news conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that there were 14 Mexican nationals at the Florida detention center and that the government was making efforts to retrieve them. 'From the moment we learned of this facility, we sent a diplomatic message so that any Mexican can be deported immediately and that they don't need to spend any time at that detention center,' Sheinbaum said. 'The consulate is looking to see if there are any violations of human rights.' Álvarez reiterated Sheinbaum's message Sunday on X, saying, ' As for [the Ministry of Foreign Affairs], we remain attentive to the Mexicans still detained at said center. By order of President @Claudiashein and Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente, we are monitoring that their immigration processes are carried out in accordance with due process and respect human dignity.' Legal advocates in Florida have called the conditions in the Everglades detention center 'unlivable.' One detainee of the center told NBC News that she is held in an overcrowded room that is filled with mosquitoes and is allowed to shower only once every three to four days. Last week, Human Rights Watch — a nongovernmental advocacy group that monitors human rights abuses around the world — released a 92-page report that claimed three Florida detention centers 'flagrantly violate international human rights standards.' The organization interviewed 11 currently and recently detained individuals who had been held at the following Florida detention centers: Krome North Service Processing Center, the Broward Transitional Center and the Federal Detention Center. Additionally, family members of seven detainees and 14 immigration lawyers were interviewed as part of the report. Tricia McLaughlin, Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, has denied that any Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities violated any safety or human rights standards. 'Any claim that there are subprime conditions at ICE detention centers are FALSE. All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers,' McLaughlin has said. 'Ensuring the safety, security and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE. ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens.'
The Hill
5 hours ago
- The Hill
Ramaswamy speaks out on Cincinnati street brawl
Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy condemned a Cincinnati street brawl that garnered attention on social media over the weekend and used the altercation to bash public safety policies on the left in a Monday post on X. In his post, Ramaswamy said that he had spoken to one of the women assaulted in the fight, whose first name he said was Holly. 'It's unconscionable that there were no police present in that area of Cincinnati on a Friday night, or even an ambulance to take her to the hospital,' he wrote. 'Hard-working Americans shouldn't have to worry for their safety when they have a good time in our cities.' The brawl, video of which quickly spread online, was also condemned by several high-profile politicians Monday, including Vice President JD Vance, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval. It occurred early Saturday morning in downtown Cincinnati. Pureval said in a statement that he was 'confident' arrests from the incident would be forthcoming. Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said that the department has since identified and charged five people in connection with the brawl. On X, Ramaswamy pledged that law enforcement would 'have the green light to restore order—no apologies.' 'Leftists like to lecture about 'systemic injustice' while thugs turn our turn [sic] cities into war zones. I'm done with their excuses,' he wrote. 'As governor, I'll make sure they're behind bars, not running wild.' 'Holly appreciates the kind words and prayers from patriots across the country, and hopes that the publicity around her story ensures that local & state leaders clean up our failing cities,' he added.
