(NewsNation) — Alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel have been charged with narco-terrorism by the United States government, according to an indictment.
In a first-of-its-kind indictment, these alleged leaders were charged in connection with trafficking massive amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine into the United States. This indictment came down from the newly formed Narco-Terrorism Unit, which was created on April 11, 2025.
A father and son — Pedro Inzunza Noriega and Pedro Inzunza Coronel — have been charged with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering. They are being accused of being key leaders of a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel called the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO). It is believed that BLO is the “world’s largest known fentanyl production network.”
Inzunza Noriega allegedly worked with his son to traffic fentanyl into the country, according to the U.S. government. Court documents show that they have led “one of the largest and most sophisticated fentanyl production networks in the world.”
The duo has reportedly trafficked in tens of thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the country. Mexican law enforcement raided locations in Sinaloa back in December 2024 and allegedly seized 1,500 kilograms of fentanyl.
Sinaloa Cartel is a complex, dangerous terrorist organization’: Pam Bondi
Five other alleged leaders of the BLO were also charged with drug trafficking and money laundering. According to the United States Attorney’s Office, this stems from President Donald Trump’s executive order that designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a terrorist organization. The Secretary of State also designated the group as a terrorist organization on Feb. 20, 2025.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said, “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.”
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon released a statement that said:
“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. 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.”
Beltran Leyva faction of Sinaloa Cartel allegedly controls numerous territories
According to court documents, the BLO has been “considered one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations to operate in Mexico, engaging in shootouts, murders, kidnappings, torture and violent collection of drug debts to sustain its operations.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office claims that the BLO controls many territories in Mexico, including in Tijuana, and operates violently. It allegedly traffics in drugs, threatens communities and targets key officials, “all while making millions of dollars from their criminal activities.”
Federal drug trafficking indictments are pending against other alleged leaders of the BLO, including Fausto Isidro Meza Flores aka “Chapo Isidro,” Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe aka “El Musico,” and Pedro Inzunza Noriega aka “Sagitario.”
The Southern District of California also has indictments that are pending against other leaders, including Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, aka “El Chapito”; Ismael Zambada Sicairos, aka “Mayito Flaco”; and Jose Gil Caro Quintero, aka “El Chino.”