United States Drug Enforcement Administration

DENVER – On January 17, 2024, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division joined the U.S. Department of State to announce a reward offer of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mexican national Jesus Gonzalez- Penuelas, also known as “Chuy” Gonzalez.

In addition to the reward announcement, DEA is announcing a new tip line specific to information related to Gonzalez and his associates. The tip line can be accessed by calling/texting/WhatsApp 720-355-0168 or by emailing Chuy-Reward@dea.gov. Identities are kept strictly confidential.

Gonzalez’ drug production and trafficking organization is based in Northern Sinaloa, Mexico and has been a prominent source for heroin distribution throughout Colorado. DEA identified Gonzalez as a primary supplier of heroin in the western United States over a decade ago just as Colorado experienced a spike in heroin-related overdose deaths. Specifically, Colorado saw heroin-related overdose deaths nearly double between 2013 and 2016. In 2016, Gonzalez was indicted on three counts by a grand jury in the District of Colorado. A superseding indictment was filed against him in 2018. 

Drug trafficking organizations continue to exert significant control of the opioid market in the greater Denver area, expanding their criminal activities and exploiting established heroin distribution networks and customer bases to traffic and distribute large quantities of counterfeit fentanyl pills. This rise in fentanyl pill trafficking has fueled a dramatic increase in overdose deaths in Colorado.

In 2018, Colorado experienced 102 fentanyl-related deaths.  By 2021, that number jumped to 910, and in 2022, 920 Coloradans died from a fentanyl poisoning or overdose.  Seizures of fentanyl throughout the state have also increased during this time period. The Rocky Mountain Field Division seized 565,200 fentanyl pills throughout Colorado in 2021 and 1.9 million fentanyl pills in 2022. The Colorado offices are on pace to seize a record 3 million fentanyl pills in 2023. 

Using its One DEA approach, the Rocky Mountain Field Division is working closely with the Mexico City Country Office, as well as our Special Operations Division, to intake and investigate all new leads reported to the Gonzalez tip line.  

Gonzalez is a 54-year old Mexican national with black hair and brown eyes. He is believed to be operating in Northern Sinaloa, Mexico. Additional information about Gonzalez can be found on the DEA website at Jesus Gonzalez-Penuelas (dea.gov) and information about the $5 million reward can be found on the U.S. Department of State website.

Gonzalez was designated a Significant Foreign Narcotics Trafficker in May 2021 by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act for his role in fueling the opioid epidemic in the United States.    

The DEA is committed to supporting the people of Mexico, its government, and our collective efforts to save lives by combatting the manufacturing of illicit drugs and their distribution throughout the United States.