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Costa Rican authorities recently deported three Mexican nationals wanted in the United States on federal drug trafficking charges. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica.

U.S. Offers $10 Million Reward To Disrupt Drug Cartels

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Published on Wednesday, November 4, 2026

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program is offering rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial networks and funding mechanisms of drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations, the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica announced.

According to the embassy, these organizations have carried out widespread violence and terrorism throughout the Western Hemisphere, including an attack on a U.S. consular post in Mexico. They also participate in large-scale criminal operations that generate revenue through fuel theft, drug trafficking and kidnapping.

U.S. officials said the activities of transnational Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) have contributed to the flow of deadly drugs, violent criminals and dangerous gangs into the United States.

The organizations include Cártel del Golfo, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Cártel del Noreste, Cártel de Sinaloa, Cárteles Unidos, La Nueva Familia Michoacana, Mara Salvatrucha and Tren de Aragua, among others.

In September, Costa Rica participated in the Shield of the Americas summit, an anti-cartel coalition led by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The meeting was held at United Nations headquarters in New York City. Under a joint agreement, Costa Rica recognized the transnational narco-terrorist organizations and strengthened its efforts to combat them.

The RFJ program is seeking information that could help disrupt the cartels' revenue sources and key financial networks, including:

Financial contributions to the cartels from donors and financial facilitators.

Significant transactions by financial institutions and exchange houses that benefit the cartels.

Fuel theft and other illicit financial schemes operated by the cartels.

Businesses or investments owned or controlled by the cartels or their financiers.

Front companies connected to the cartels or conducting financial transactions on their behalf.

Criminal schemes involving cartel members and supporters who financially benefit the organizations.

Business dealings between formal financial institutions and the cartels.

Transfers of funding and materiel to or from the cartels and their operatives.

On Feb. 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of State designated the cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).

The designation determined that the groups "pose a national security threat that extends beyond the scope of traditional organized crime," U.S. authorities said.

The Rewards for Justice program provides a secure way for individuals to submit information about Mexican cartels through its official website.

For more information about the reward program, individuals can contact the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica at (506) 2519-2000.

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In September, a joint operation involving the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Costa Rican authorities resulted in the arrest of five suspected members of Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel.

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What have you heard about Mexican cartel suspects living in Costa Rica? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com