Federal prosecutors filed narco-terrorism charges against leading members of the Sinaloa Cartel. The move is the first of its kind following the February designation by the U.S. State Department of six Mexican cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, as foreign terrorist organizations.
In a new unsealed indictment, federal prosecutors named two of the primary leaders of the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO) – Pedro “Sagitario” Inzunza Noriega and Pedro “Pichon” Inzunza Coronel. The DOJ asserts that BLO is part of the Sinaloa Cartel. The father and son, and five other men, face seven different counts, all connected to their roles in the organization. The charges include narco-terrorism, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and various drug trafficking, conspiracy, and money laundering charges.
“The Sinaloa Cartel is a complex, dangerous terrorist organization and dismantling them demands a novel, powerful legal response,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a prepared statement. “Their days of brutalizing the American people without consequence are over — we will seek life in prison for these terrorists.”
