Washington  - The United States has brought charges against the leaders of Mexico's top drug cartels in its latest bid to curb drug trafficking across its southern border, the US Department of Justice announced Thursday.

Charges were unsealed in courts in Chicago and New York against a total of 43 people, including 10 drug cartel leaders allegedly involved in trafficking cocaine and heroin over the past two decades. The US is also seeking forfeiture of 5.8 billion dollars in illegal drug money.

"These cartels are not abstract organizations operating in far-off places. They are multibillion-dollar networks funneling drugs onto our streets," US Attorney General Eric Holder said in a press conference in Washington.

Mexico has been waging a difficult war against drug cartels in the country for the past few years, with the support of nearly 700 million dollars from the United States.

None of the 10 alleged cartel leaders have been apprehended to date. They run cartels in Mexico known as the Sinaloa Cartel, The Federation and Los Gueros.

Others charged include distributors in Chicago, Atlanta and New York. All but one of the 43 people charged face a maximum sentence of life in prison. (dpa)