Sinaloa Cartel Leaders Charged with Terrorism for the First Time in US

In a landmark legal move, leaders of Mexico’s infamous Sinaloa Cartel have been charged with terrorism in the United States for the first time. The sweeping federal indictment, unveiled in San Diego, marks a pivotal moment in the U.S. government’s escalating efforts to combat transnational drug syndicates with the full force of anti-terrorism laws.

Federal prosecutors revealed that key figures of the cartel — including a father-son duo, Pedro Inzunza Noriega, 62, and Pedro Inzunza Coronel, 33 — are accused of running one of the largest fentanyl production networks in the world, tied to the cartel’s violent Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO) faction.

Authorities said the pair were not only instrumental in trafficking narcotics into the U.S. but were also deeply involved in brutal acts of violence used to maintain and expand their criminal empire. These tactics allegedly included armed confrontations, kidnappings, executions, torture, and extortion over drug debts.

The charges come in the wake of an executive order classifying certain drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations — a strategic shift that now enables prosecutors to pursue terrorism-related charges against drug lords who spread chaos and death far beyond their borders.

“This is a message to the cartel leaders — the world’s not your hunting ground anymore. You are now the hunted,” said a federal prosecutor in San Diego during a press briefing.

The indictment also follows a massive international law enforcement operation, which included raids on cartel-controlled compounds. These efforts led to what prosecutors call the largest single seizure of fentanyl in history — over 1.65 tons of the lethal synthetic opioid.

In addition to Noriega and Coronel, five other alleged senior BLO operatives are named in the indictment. All seven remain fugitives and face a range of charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering. The father and son face the added weight of terrorism charges — a first in the long-running war on drugs.

As the investigation continues, authorities vow to use every legal tool available to dismantle the cartel's infrastructure and hold its leadership accountable on a global stage.