Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Tuesday charging alleged leaders of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel with narco-terrorism and material support of terrorism, marking the first time such charges have been levied against cartel figures in the nation.
The indictment targets Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, identified as key leaders within the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO), a powerful and violent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel believed to be the world’s largest fentanyl production network.
The charges, which also include drug trafficking and money laundering, come as a direct result of President Trump’s Executive Order 14157, designating the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and the subsequent designation by the Secretary of State on February 20, 2025. Five other alleged BLO leaders are also facing charges of drug trafficking and money laundering in connection with the indictment.
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“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.”
“Operation Take Back America initiatives reflect the reality that narco-terrorists operate as a cancer within a state. They metastasize violence, corruption and fear. If left unchecked, their growth would lead to the death of law and order,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California . “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.”
According to the indictment, the BLO, under the alleged leadership of Pedro Inzunza Noriega, is responsible for some of the largest seizures of fentanyl and cocaine destined for the United States. Acting Special Agent in Charge Houtan Moshrefi of the FBI San Diego Field Office stated, “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.”
Court documents detail the BLO’s history as one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations in Mexico, engaging in extreme violence to maintain its operations and control territories, including Tijuana. The organization allegedly generates millions of dollars through trafficking deadly drugs and targeting officials.
The government alleges that Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, work closely together, leading a sophisticated fentanyl production network. Authorities believe they have trafficked tens of thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the United States. A significant seizure on December 3, 2024, in Sinaloa, Mexico, resulted in the confiscation of 1,500 kilograms of fentanyl from locations controlled by the father and son – the largest fentanyl seizure globally.
This indictment marks the first from the newly formed Narco-Terrorism Unit in the Southern District of California, established upon the swearing-in of U.S. Attorney Gordon on April 11. It follows a history of the district targeting the leadership of major Mexican cartels.
“These charges highlight the unwavering efforts of transnational criminal organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel to flood our communities with deadly drugs. HSI and our law enforcement partners will not allow cartel-driven drug trafficking to threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego. “We are all laser-focused on a unified effort to dismantle these networks and their factions in bringing those responsible to justice.”
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Federal drug trafficking indictments are also pending against other alleged leaders of the BLO, including Fausto Isidro Meza Flores aka “Chapo Isidro,” and Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe aka “El Musico.” Additionally, the Southern District of California has pending indictments against other Sinaloa Cartel leaders such as Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar aka “El Chapito,” Ismael Zambada Sicairos aka “Mayito Flaco,” and Jose Gil Caro Quintero aka “El Chino.”
Evidence cited in court documents includes:
- A 1,500-kilogram fentanyl seizure on December 5, 2024.
- A 1,680-kilogram cocaine seizure in Mexico City.
- Cocaine seizures with “Incredibles” and “R” brand markings.
- Rainbow-colored fentanyl pills and fentanyl bricks stamped with “Louis Vuitton” and “Rolls Royce” logos.
- A Pedro Inzunza branded hat featuring symbols associated with Fausto Isidro Meza Flores and Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Mellor and Matthew Sutton. The defendants named in the indictment are:
- Pedro Inzunza Noriega, 62, aka “Sagitario,” aka “120,” aka “El De La Silla”
- Pedro Inzunza Coronel, 33, aka “Pichon,” aka “Pajaro,” aka “Bird”
- David Alejandro Heredia Velazquez, 50, aka “Tano,” aka “Mr. Jordan”
- Oscar Rene Gonzalez Menendez, 45, aka “Rubio”
- Elias Alberto Quiros Benavides, 53
- Daniel Eduardo Bojorquez, 47, aka “Chopper”
- Javier Alonso Vazquez Sanchez, 31, aka “Tito,” aka “Drilo”
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