A massive $5 million reward has been offered up for an alleged Sinaloa Cartel boss facing charges of narcoterrorism and drug trafficking.
Prosecutors paint Rene Arzate-Garcia, or “La Rana,” as a ruthless and influential cartel lieutenant.
La Rana and his brother, Alfonso Arzate-Garcia, or “Aquiles,” have ruled the Tijuana Plaza with an iron fist for 15 years, dodging drug trafficking charges while dominating the Tijuana drug corridor, according to officials.
The brothers have orchestrated murders, kidnappings, extortion, and corruption to tighten their grip on the region, according to prosecutors. The two have also allegedly fueled drug operations that have funneled thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana into the United States, all while laundering millions in illicit profits.
The narcoterrorism charge comes from the Trump administration’s decision to label some cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, as foreign terrorist organizations.
Arzate-Garcia was labeled as a drug kingpin by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in 2023.
The U.S. State Department says the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations, which reach areas like San Diego, involve thousands of pounds of fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as gold-plated firearms and rocket launchers.
“These are not victimless crimes; illegal drugs destroy families, fracture neighborhoods, erode trust, and foster corruption,” said James Nunnallee of the Drug Enforcement Administration in San Diego.
Thanks to cooperation with Mexican authorities, five Sinaloa Cartel members have been captured and are now behind bars in San Diego.
“The Sinaloa Cartel, through a Mexican Mafia member, then basically outsourced to a Los Angeles gang to have a cartel hit in San Diego,” said Adam Gordon, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California.
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