Alleged drug kingpins, father and son, charged with narco-terrorism in San Diego federal court

Pedro Inzunza Noriega top right and other suspected members of the Beltran Leyva organization Photo courtesy of Department of the Treasury U S agents 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 foreign terrorist organizations 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 the day he took office in his second term The foreign terrorist organization label is atypical because it deploys a terrorist designation normally reserved for groups like al-Qaida or the Islamic State group that use violence for political ends not for money-focused crime rings such as the Latin American cartels If you act like a terrorist you shouldn t be surprised if you are charged as one revealed Adam Gordon U S attorney for the Southern District of California in San Diego Those charged were described as key leaders of the Beltr n Leyva Organization according to the indictment The organization is one of a number of 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 assistance of terrorism in connection with the trafficking of massive amounts of fentanyl cocaine methamphetamine and heroin into the United States according to court documents Five other high-ranking members were charged with drug trafficking and money laundering All remain fugitives representatives commented The father and son have overseen one of the largest and majority sophisticated fentanyl production networks in the world Gordon stated The organization is accused of trafficking tens of thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the United States Mexican officials in December raided multiple sites controlled by the father and son that resulted in the world s largest seizure of fentanyl totaling kilograms more than tons according to court documents The group is also known for its violence engaging in shootouts kidnappings torture and murders and targeting functionaries It controls the drug bargain in various parts of Central America and in multiple areas of Mexico including in the edge city of Tijuana across from San Diego 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 Gordon announced