An indictment unsealed on May 13, 2025, marks the first in the U.S. to charge leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel with narco-terrorism and material support of terrorism.
The charges are related to the trafficking of large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin into the U.S.
Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, are named in the indictment as key leaders of the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO), a violent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
BLO is considered one of the largest fentanyl production networks worldwide.
The two are charged with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
Five other BLO leaders face charges of drug trafficking and money laundering as well.
This legal action follows President Trump’s Executive Order 14157, which designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, according to a DOJ press release.
The Secretary of State officially confirmed this designation on February 20, 2025.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized the seriousness of the case, calling the Sinaloa Cartel a complex and dangerous terrorist organization. She vowed to seek life sentences for those responsible.
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California highlighted the threat posed by narco-terrorists. He described their influence as a cancer spreading violence, corruption, and fear, undermining law and order.
Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego stated that law enforcement is committed to stopping cartel-driven drug trafficking. Gibson stressed a unified effort to dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel and bring its members to justice.
The FBI San Diego Field Office’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Houtan Moshrefi pointed to BLO’s responsibility for some of the largest seizures of fentanyl and cocaine destined for the U.S. He noted the threat the cartel poses to national security and communities.
Court documents reveal the Beltran Leyva faction is among the most violent drug trafficking groups in Mexico. Its activities include shootouts, murders, kidnappings, torture, and violent debt collection.
The faction controls multiple territories and drug trafficking routes throughout Mexico, including Tijuana. It operates with violent impunity, threatening communities and officials while generating millions of dollars.
Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son have led a large and sophisticated fentanyl production network. They have trafficked tens of thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the U.S. in recent years.
On December 3, 2024, Mexican authorities raided several locations in Sinaloa linked to the Noriegas and seized 1,500 kilograms of fentanyl—the largest fentanyl seizure recorded globally.
This indictment continues a pattern in the Southern District of California of targeting major cartel leadership and operations. Past efforts include dismantling the Arellano Felix Cartel and strikes against the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
The current indictment is the first issued by the Narco-Terrorism Unit of the Southern District of California. This unit was established with the swearing-in of U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon on April 11, 2025.
Pending federal indictments target all alleged leaders of the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The government remains focused on dismantling this faction and addressing the threat it poses through narco-terrorism and drug trafficking activities.
The indictment underscores a coordinated effort by multiple federal agencies to combat violent transnational criminal organizations affecting U.S. communities and national security.
The charges mark a significant step in the ongoing battle against narcotics trafficking and narco-terrorism linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.
