San Diego indictment charges alleged cartel boss with narcoterrorism

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) - An alleged Sinaloa Cartel leader has been charged with narcoterrorism and drug trafficking, and a reward of up to $5 million each is being offered for information leading to his capture, as well as the arrest of his brother, federal prosecutors in San Diego said today.

Rene Arzate-Garcia, also known as ``La Rana,'' is described by prosecutors in court documents as ``a high-ranking, hyper-violent Sinaloa Cartel lieutenant'' who prosecutors say has ``brutally controlled the Tijuana Plaza'' along with his brother, Alfonso Arzate-Garcia, also known as ``Aquiles.''  

Prosecutors say the brothers have used ``murder, kidnappings, extortion, and corruption'' to control the region and support drug trafficking operations that have moved ``thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana into the United States,'' while also laundering millions in drug proceeds.   

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Rene Arzate-Garcia has carried out ``kidnappings and executions'' in Tijuana on the cartel's behalf and is a central figure in an ongoing, violent conflict between two cartel factions.   

Arzate-Garcia was designated by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control as a drug kingpin in 2023.   

The narcoterrorism charge stems from the Trump administration's designation of the Sinaloa Cartel last year as a foreign terrorist organization.

Anyone with information regarding the Arzate-Garcia brothers was asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or to go to their nearest FBI office. Tips can be submitted online anonymously at tips.fbi.gov/home.   

Tips may also be submitted to the DEA at 1-858-298-5670 at Threema ID: PTJ4HS3J or by emailing MFSinaloaTipLine@dea.gov.