Senior CJNG Cartel Member Indicted for Massive Timeshare Fraud, Money Laundering, and Terrorism Offences

A senior member of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) has been indicted in the United States on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and terrorism for allegedly orchestrating a decade-long timeshare fraud scheme that targeted thousands of American property owners in Mexico.

Julio Cesar Montero Pinzon, also known as El Tarjetas, El Chess, and Cesar Hernandez Jimenez, together with his half-sister Griselda Margarita Arredondo Pinzon, is accused of defrauding victims through sophisticated “advance fee” scams linked to CJNG’s criminal network. While both remain outside US custody, prosecutors have brought multiple charges reflecting the breadth of their alleged activities.

According to the indictment, since 2012 CJNG has operated fraudulent call centres in Mexico to solicit timeshare owners with promises of quick sales or rentals. Victims were persuaded to pay upfront fees and taxes, only to receive nothing in return. The fraudsters further exploited their targets through secondary scams, posing as lawyers or officials offering recovery services in exchange for more payments.

US authorities estimate that between 2019 and 2024 more than 6,000 victims lost approximately $350 million to these schemes. Investigators allege that Montero Pinzon helped build and manage CJNG’s financial network to receive and launder these illicit proceeds, while Arredondo Pinzon oversaw operations at a central cartel-controlled office.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi described Montero Pinzon as a “senior leader of a foreign terrorist organisation who defrauded innocent citizens to fuel terrorism against the American people.” The FBI, DEA, and IRS-CI emphasised that the scheme represented a global criminal enterprise funnelling illicit profits into cartel activities, including drug trafficking and violent crime.

Both defendants face up to 20 years in prison on each count if convicted. The charges follow CJNG’s designation in February as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Despite these sanctions, Montero Pinzon allegedly continued operating the fraud network.

The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has already sanctioned more than 70 individuals and entities linked to CJNG’s timeshare fraud.

This indictment marks a significant escalation in the Justice Department’s efforts to dismantle cartel financing structures that extend far beyond narcotics trafficking. By targeting fraud and money laundering operations, US law enforcement aims to cut off CJNG’s revenue streams and reduce its capacity to spread violence across borders.

Read the press release here.