“To the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel: You are no longer the hunters. You are the hunted.”
A news conference inside the U.S. Attorney’s San Diego office on Tuesday began with that dramatic opening from U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, who was announcing the unsealing of a federal indictment charging multiple alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel with narco-terrorism and material support of terrorism.
Stream San Diego News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC 7.
WATCH HEREIt's the first time in U.S. history that drug traffickers have been charged with terrorism.
The indictment follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that designated the Sinaloa Cartel and other drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
Get top local San Diego stories delivered to you every morning with our News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement, "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."
The indicted defendants include a father and son, Pedro Inzunza Noriega, 62, and Pedro Inzunza Coronel, 33, who are described as "key leaders" of the Sinaloa cartel's Beltran Leyva Organization.
“The notorious Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son Pedro Inzunza Coronel are charged with terrorism and drug trafficking charges,” Gordon said. “They are described in court documents as leaders of the largest and most sophisticated fentanyl production networks in the world, on behalf of the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.”
Local
A recent raid on multiple locations controlled by the father and son resulted in "the largest seizure of fentanyl in the world," with over 1.65 tons seized, according to prosecutors.
The BLO faction was also described as using violence to support its operations, including "shootouts, murders, kidnappings, torture and violent collection of drug debts."
The father and son, along with five other alleged high-ranking BLO members charged in the indictment, remain at large. All seven are facing drug trafficking and money laundering charges, while the father and son additionally face terrorism charges.
San Diego U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said that with the recent indictments, all alleged BLO leaders are now facing drug trafficking charges in the U.S., most of which are being prosecuted in San Diego.
