US charges high-ranking Mexican drug cartel suspects with narco-terrorism
May 13, 2025, 11:27 AM
SAN DIEGO (AP) 鈥� U.S. officials unveiled an indictment Tuesday against two alleged Mexican drug cartel leaders on narco-terrorism charges.
The indictment comes after the Trump administration in February designated the Sinaloa Cartel and seven other Latin American crime organizations as 鈥渇oreign terrorist organizations,鈥� upping its pressure on cartels operating in the U.S. and on anyone aiding them. President Donald Trump called for the designation in an executive order on Jan. 20, the day he took office in his second term.
The 鈥渇oreign terrorist organization鈥� label is unusual because it deploys a terrorist designation normally reserved for groups like al-Qaida or the Islamic State group that use violence for political ends 鈥� not for money-focused crime rings such as the Latin American cartels.
鈥淚f you act like a terrorist, you shouldn鈥檛 be surprised if you are charged as one,鈥� said Adam Gordon, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California.
Those charged were key leaders of the Beltr谩n Leyva Organization, according to the indictment. The organization is one of a number of warring criminal groups that once formed part of the Sinaloa Cartel and have since split off and warred for territory and power, fueling bloodshed in large swathes of Mexico.
Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, were also charged with providing material support of terrorism in connection with the trafficking of massive amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin into the United States, the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office in San Diego announced. Five other high-ranking members were charged with drug trafficking and money laundering.
The men oversaw 鈥渙ne of the largest and most sophisticated fentanyl production networks in the world,” Gordon said.
The group was also known for its violence, engaging in shootouts, kidnappings, torture and murders, according to the indictment.
The elder Pedro is paralyzed after being shot by a rival cartel member. His group has been one of the top distributors of cocaine and now fentanyl since 2006, Gordon said.
___
Associated Press writer Megan Janetsky in Mexico City contributed to this report.
