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U.S. Charges Sinaloa Cartel Leaders with Narco-Terrorism in Landmark Indictment

Federal prosecutors unveil the first-ever narco-terrorism charges against Mexican cartel leaders, alleging their role in trafficking fentanyl and other drugs into the U.S.

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U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi says "the Sinaloa Cartel is a complex, dangerous terrorist organization and dismantling them demands a novel, powerful legal response. Their days of brutalizing the American people without consequence are over — we will seek life in prison for these terrorists.” (BEN CURTIS/AP FILE)

Overview

  • Pedro Inzunza Noriega, his son Pedro Inzunza Coronel, and five other Beltran Leyva Organization leaders were indicted on charges including narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
  • The Beltran Leyva Organization, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, is accused of operating one of the world’s largest fentanyl production networks, trafficking tens of thousands of kilograms of the drug into the U.S.
  • The charges follow President Trump’s February 2025 executive order designating the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, marking a shift in U.S. strategy against cartels.
  • Mexican authorities previously seized 1.65 tons of fentanyl linked to the group in December 2024, the largest fentanyl bust ever recorded globally.
  • All seven indicted individuals remain fugitives as part of the DOJ's ongoing Operation Take Back America, which aims to dismantle cartel networks and combat narco-terrorism.