U.S. prosecutors in the Southern District of California unsealed a sweeping indictment today charging two alleged heads of the Beltrán Leyva Organization (BLO)—Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel—with narco-terrorism and material support of terrorism. According to federal court documents, the pair are accused of orchestrating one of the world’s most sophisticated fentanyl trafficking networks into the United States, moving tens of thousands of kilograms of the deadly opioid across the border.
The charges mark the first use of narco-terrorism statutes against Mexican cartel figures following President Trump’s February designation of the Sinaloa Cartel—and its various splinter factions, including the Beltrán Leyva Organization—as “foreign terrorist organizations.” That unprecedented classification allows prosecutors to apply terrorism-related legal standards typically reserved for ideologically motivated groups to profit-driven criminal syndicates.
According to the indictment, Pedro Inzunza Noriega and Pedro Inzunza Coronel jointly directed BLO’s massive fentanyl production and smuggling operations. Over the past several years, they allegedly trafficked “tens of thousands of kilograms” of fentanyl into U.S. markets. In December 2024, Mexican law enforcement agents seized 1,500 kilograms—more than 1.65 tons—of fentanyl in a coordinated raid on compounds controlled by the Inzunzas, representing the largest single fentanyl seizure on record.
The BLO, a violent breakaway faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, has long been linked to kidnappings, torture, mass shootings and the ruthless collection of drug debts in Mexico. With a footprint spanning parts of Sinaloa, Tijuana and Central America, the organization has leveraged its extensive distribution network to flood U.S. streets with fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi hailed the indictments as a turning point in the fight against transnational narco-terrorism. “The Sinaloa Cartel is a complex, dangerous terrorist organization and dismantling them demands a novel, powerful legal response,” Bondi said in a statement. “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, who leads the newly formed Narco-Terrorism Unit in San Diego, emphasized the cross-border cooperation underpinning the case. “Operation Take Back America reflects the reality that narco-terrorists operate as a cancer within a state,” Gordon remarked. “This indictment is what justice looks like when the full measure of the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners is brought to bear against these murderous cartels”.
All seven defendants remain at large, and law enforcement officials are urging anyone with information to come forward. In parallel, Mexican authorities have pledged to intensify operations against BLO strongholds and enhance intelligence-sharing with U.S. counterparts to bring the alleged kingpins to justice.
As this case unfolds, it underscores a significant escalation in U.S. legal tactics against Mexican drug organizations, blending traditional drug charges with terrorism statutes in a high-stakes bid to curtail the fentanyl trafficking that has contributed to a nationwide overdose crisis.