Pedro Inzunza Noriega, 'El Sagitario', operator for 'El Chapo Isidro', arrested in Culiacán

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Following a search authorized by a federal judge, Pedro Inzunza Noriega, alias 'Sagitario', was arrested along with three other people.

Federal authorities announced the arrest of Pedro Inzunza Noriega, alias El Sagitario, the most trusted operator of Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, alias El Chapo Isidro, a drug trafficker identified as having inherited the criminal business of Alfredo Beltrán Leyva, former leader of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel.

According to a statement from the Mexican government, following an investigation involving elements of the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPyC), and the Attorney General's Office (FGR), a property linked to El Señor de la Silla, as Inzunza Noriega was known, was identified.  A search warrant was then obtained, and the target was arrested, along with three other people.

“The arrested individuals will be transported by air by Navy personnel to Mexico City, where they will be placed at the disposal of the FEMDO (Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime) so that their legal situation can be determined according to law,” the Mexican government detailed in a statement.

Where did the search take place?

At a property located in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, identified during the federal investigations.

The operation was led by the Secretariat of the Navy and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, in coordination with the Attorney General's Office, through the Criminal Investigation Agency and the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime.

According to official information, the investigation was conducted against a criminal group affiliated with the organization formerly headed by the Beltrán Leyva brothers, dedicated to the production and trafficking of drugs such as fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, with operations in the state of Sinaloa. The investigations intensified after a confrontation last November in the mountainous area of ​​the municipality of Choix, where Navy personnel were attacked by armed civilians. In that incident, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, alias Pichón, identified as one of the main operators of the criminal group, was neutralized.

Following subsequent investigations, authorities located a property in Culiacán allegedly linked to Inzunza Noriega, identified as Pichón's father and as second-in-command of the criminal structure led by Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, alias El Chapo Isidro, who had reportedly assumed control of the organization.

With the evidence gathered, a federal judge issued a search warrant, which was executed today, leading to the arrest of Sagitario and three other people. During the operation, firearms and various quantities of drugs were seized.

What is known about Pedro Inzunza Noriega?

The capo, also known as El de la Silla, began his criminal career as a financial liaison between organized crime groups and money laundering structures in Mexico and the United States.

According to the indictment filed on May 10, 2025, in a New York federal court, his role evolved into the operational and logistical leadership of a criminal cell dedicated to the importation and distribution of drugs, mainly methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.

Pedro Inzunza 'El Sagitario' arrested in Culiacán

The court document indicates that Inzunza Noriega operated from Mexico but had intermediaries and transporters under his command in U.S. territory, using front companies and highly organized smuggling schemes.

His structure also participated in extortion, the use of armed violence, and the financing of attacks against rival authorities or opposing groups. Along with his son, Pedro Alfonso Inzunza Loaiza, the defendant faces multiple federal charges that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has characterized as part of a pattern of "narco terrorism," a term it uses to describe violence perpetrated by criminal groups for the purposes of intimidation, territorial control, and institutional destabilization.

Narco terrorism Charges

Along with his son, Pedro Alfonso Inzunza Loaiza, the defendant faces multiple federal charges, including:

Conspiracy to manufacture and distribute illicit drugs.

Conspiracy to import fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

International money laundering.

Participation in terrorist acts related to drug trafficking.

Source: Milenio