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Authorities have recently unveiled a new indictment targeting René “La Rana” Arzate-García, a prominent figure in the Sinaloa Cartel’s Tijuana Plaza operations, along with his brother, Alfonso “Aquiles” Arzate-García. The two are accused of orchestrating the smuggling of significant quantities of drugs into the United States.
The U.S. State Department is incentivizing the public with a reward of up to $5 million each for information that could lead to the capture of these brothers.
René Arzate-García faces a slew of charges, including narco-terrorism, running a continuous criminal enterprise, providing material support to a foreign terrorist group, engaging in an international conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana, as well as money laundering.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Arzate-García brothers have commanded the Tijuana Plaza under the Sinaloa Cartel’s banner for the last 15 years. Their reign has been marked by the use of violence, strategic alliances, and extensive local influence, which reportedly includes corruption among political figures and law enforcement.
Despite ongoing disputes, authorities assert that the brothers continue to control this pivotal trafficking route, positioning them as essential operatives in the cartel’s endeavors, especially in smuggling the highly dangerous fentanyl into American communities. This substance has been classified as a “weapon of mass destruction” by the Trump administration.
René Arzate-García is wanted for narco-terrorism and other charges. (Department of Justice)
Court documents allege La Rana uses paramilitary fighters to patrol and control territory, as well as drones equipped with explosives to conduct surveillance.
Officials said his group also has an extensive collection of military grade and high-powered guns and weapons, including assault weapons and grenade launchers.
“Foreign terrorist organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel have spent decades poisoning our children and committing acts of unimaginable violence against innocent civilians — no longer under President Trump,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a statement.
Alfonso Arzate-García is wanted for conspiracy to distribute meth and marijuana. (Department of Justice)
“This latest indictment, which follows the landmark conviction of Sinaloa Cartel co-founder ‘El Mayo’ on American soil, is a key development in this Department of Justice’s ongoing campaign to permanently dismantle these cartels and deliver American justice to their cowardly leaders,” she continued.
Last year, Trump designated the Sinaloa Cartel as both a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and a specially designated global terrorist (SDGT).
The DOJ shared photos of weapons allegedly linked to the case. (Department of Justice)
The Arzate-García brothers were charged in the Southern District of California in 2014 with drug trafficking offenses in separate indictments and have been fugitives since that time.
In August 2023, the brothers were designated by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Financial Assets Control under an executive order.
FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency and its partners have an “unwavering” commitment to thwarting the Sinaloa Cartel.
“We will continue to use everything at our disposal to disrupt their operations and prevent further drugs and violence from coming into our communities,” Patel wrote in a statement. “The Sinaloa Cartel, including its leaders, will be forced to face the consequences of their actions.”
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