(NewsNation) — Two brothers who authorities say are the co-leaders of a Mexican drug cartel have been charged with federal drug offenses, and a reward of up to $8 million is being offered for information leading to their arrest and conviction.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga were charged by a federal grand jury with:
- Conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl
- Conspiracy to import those drugs into the United States
- Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
The two siblings are the co-leaders of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug cartel, federal officials said. Both siblings are fugitives after indictments were handed down in September 2024 and were recently unsealed.
LNFM cartel designated as foreign terrorist organization
The two brothers are believed to be living in Mexico. In addition to the charges announced Tuesday, the two brothers and their siblings, Ubaldo Hurtado Olascoaga and Adita Hurtado Olascoaga, who are both members of LNFM, according to Justice Department officials, were hit with sanctions by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The LNFM was designated as a foreign terrorist organization in February. In addition to drug trafficking, Justice Department officials say that the cartel has engaged in extortion, kidnappings and murders.
The reward of up to $5 million and $3 million, respectively, was offered by the State Department for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga.
In addition, a third man, Franco Tabares Martinez — a high-ranking member of LNFM — was charged by a federal grand jury with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and with related criminal charges of drug smuggling.
“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,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement released by the justice department.
Cartel investigation into LNFM started in 2021
The investigation into the LNFM cartel began in 2021 when federal agents began investigating the importing of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl into the United States. As part of the investigation, agents identified Franco Tabares Martinez as a then-high-ranking member of the LNFM cartel who allegedly distributed multikilogram quantities of methamphetamine in the metro Atlanta area.
Agents previously identified Franco Tabares Martinez’s sister, Guadalupe Tabares Martinez, as an Atlanta money launderer allegedly helping her brother and other drug traffickers by picking up bulk currency and then using her money service business to transmit those drug proceeds to drug trafficking associates in Mexico.
Tabares Martinez pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to deliver, while his sister has since been charged with conspiracy to commit international money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money services business.
According to United Press International, LNFM is one of the most notorious cartels in Mexico. It allegedly creates the deadly synthetic opioids and sends them to the U.S. by bus. The Drug Enforcement Agency has said it is responsible for more than 36 metric tons of meth, 12 metric tons of heroin and 12 metric tons of cocaine coming across the border annually.