A newly unsealed federal indictment charges top members of the Sinaloa Cartel’s Beltran Leyva Organization with narco-terrorism and material support of terrorism. The case, made public on May 13, marks the first time alleged cartel leaders have faced terrorism-related charges in connection to drug trafficking, says ICE.

The indictment was issued in the Southern District of California and stems from the work of a new Narco-Terrorism Unit established under U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, who took office on April 11, 2025. Seven cartel members, including Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son Pedro Inzunza Coronel, face charges that include drug trafficking and money laundering.

NARCO-TERRORISM: Sinaloa Cartel Leaders Indicted on Narco-Terrorism and Drug Trafficking Charges

The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment on May 13, 2025, charging Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, leaders of the Beltran Leyva Organization… pic.twitter.com/yG9TlgrLAm

— Auden B. Cabello (@CabelloAuden) May 14, 2025

“These charges highlight the unwavering efforts of transnational criminal organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel to flood our communities with deadly drugs,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Diego Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson. “HSI and our law enforcement partners will not allow cartel-driven drug trafficking to threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods. We are all lasered focused on a unified effort to dismantling these networks and their factions in bringing those responsible to justice.”

According to court filings, the Beltran Leyva Organization has operated as one of Mexico’s most violent drug trafficking factions, relying on kidnapping, murder, torture, and intimidation to maintain control of territory across the country, including in Tijuana.

“The Sinaloa Cartel is a complex, dangerous terrorist organization and dismantling them demands a novel, powerful legal response,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Their days of brutalizing the American people without consequence are over — we will seek life in prison for these terrorists.”

Federal officials say the Inzunza network is behind one of the world’s most expansive fentanyl production and smuggling operations. On December 3, 2024, Mexican authorities raided properties linked to the two men in Sinaloa and seized more than 1,500 kilograms of fentanyl — the largest such seizure in global history.

“Operation Take Back America initiatives reflect the reality that narco-terrorists operate as a cancer within a state,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “They metastasize violence, corruption and fear. If left unchecked, their growth would lead to the death of law and order. This indictment is what justice looks like when the full measure of the Department of Justice along with its law enforcement partners is brought to bear against the Sinaloa Cartel.”

“BLO, under the leadership of Inzunza Noriega, is allegedly responsible for some of the largest-ever drug seizures of fentanyl and cocaine destined for the United States,” said FBI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge Houtan Moshrefi. “Their drugs not only destroy lives and communities, but also threaten our national security. The law enforcement efforts against the Noriegas reaffirms our commitment to dismantling and disrupting this very dangerous narco-terrorist group and combating narco-trafficking.”

The indictment is linked directly to Executive Order 14157, issued by President Trump, which labeled the Sinaloa Cartel a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The State Department formalized that designation on February 20, 2025.

Other cartel leaders face charges in several federal districts, including:

• Fausto Isidro Meza Flores aka “Chapo Isidro,” charged in SDCA case 19-CR-1272 and DDC case 12-116BAH
• Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe aka “El Musico,” charged in multiple jurisdictions including 19-CR-3736 (SDCA), 09-CR-00672 (NDIL), and 15-CR-00195 (DDC)
• Pedro Inzunza Noriega aka “Sagitario,” in case number 25cr1505 (SDCA)

Additional pending cases target other senior Sinaloa Cartel figures, such as:

• Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar aka “El Chapito,” charged in 14-cr-00658 (SDCA) and 09-CR-383 (NDIL)
• Ismael Zambada Sicairos aka “Mayito Flaco,” in 14-cr-00658 (SDCA)
• Jose Gil Caro Quintero aka “El Chino,” in 22-cr-00036 (DDC)

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Mellor and Matthew Sutton. Investigative work is being led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI.