Two Mexican brothers who help lead La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel were hit with U.S. federal charges and economic sanctions for their roles in major drug trafficking operations.
Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga "El Pez" y José Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga "El Fresa" are the accused leaders of LNMF, one of Mexico's most established criminal groups and one of the eight cartels designated as terrorist organizations by the Trump administration in March.
The two brothers from Guerrero, Mexico have been on law enforcement's radar for a while. Although they were indicted in September 2024, those court documents were only unsealed this week, the Miami Herald reported. Federal prosecutors officially charged them on Tuesday for trafficking large quantities of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the U.S.
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), LNMF is responsible for more than 36 tons of meth, 12 tons of heroin, and 12 tons of cocaine entering the U.S. every year.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of the Treasury also announced rewards of up to $8 million for information leading to the brothers capture and new sanctions against two more of their siblings—Ubaldo and Adita Hurtado Olascoaga.
Ubaldo is reportedly a senior figure in the cartel, helping with drug distribution and extortion. Adita is accused of laundering drug money through used clothing stores, providing a front for cartel profits.The sanctions freeze any U.S.-linked assets and make it illegal for Americans to do business with the Olascoaga siblings.
Moreover, the DOJ also charged members of another LNFM-linked family, the Tabares Martinez clan, including Franco Tabares, who allegedly distributed meth across Atlanta; Pablo Tabares, who pleaded guilty earlier this year; and Guadalupe Tabares, an Atlanta resident accused of laundering drug money through a local business.
The charges and sanctions are part of Operation Take Back America, a Trump-era initiative launched in March 2025 to tackle both drug cartels and undocumented immigration. The operation brings together the DOJ, Homeland Security, and other agencies to target criminal networks operating across the border. So far, it's led to over 900 immigration-related charges, with a growing focus on taking down the leaders of cartels like LNFM.
In a written statement Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the government's focus on combating drug trafficking:
"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."
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