Thomas "Tommy" Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson
Today, theU.S.Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcoticsand Law Enforcement Affairsis announcing reward offersunder theNarcotics Rewards Program (NRP)ofup to $5millioneachfor information leading to the arrests and/or convictions,in any country,ofSinaloa Cartel Tijuana Plaza Bosses RenéArzate-García, a/k/a “La Rana,” and his brother, Alfonso Arzate-García, a/k/a “Aquiles.” These rewards are offeredin coordinationwith theDEA San Diego Division andU.S. Attorney’sOffice for the Southern District of theSouthernDistrict of Californiain a unified effort to bringthe Arzate-García brothersto justice.
According to the DEA,Renéand Alfonso Arzate-García have jointlycontrolledthe Tijuana Plaza for the Sinaloa Cartel for the past 15 years,maintainingauthority through violence, strategic alliances, and deep local influence, including politicaland police corruption.Despite ongoing conflicts, they continue to managethis critical traffickingcorridor, making them key figures in sustaining cartel operations, including trafficking deadlyillicitfentanyl,designatedby the Trump Administration as a Weapon of Mass Destruction, into U.S. communities.Last year, the Trump Administration designated the Sinaloa Cartelas both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
In 2014,the Arzate-García brotherswere chargedin the Southern District of Californiawith drug trafficking offenses in separate indictments and have been fugitives since that time.On August 9, 2023, bothbrothers weredesignatedby the Departmentof the Treasury’sOffice of Financial Assets Control under Executive Order 14059,“Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade.”
Today’s reward offers complement the Department of Justice’s announcement of a superseding indictment against René Arzate-García, charging him with narcoterrorism, conducting a continuing criminal enterprise, material support to a foreign terrorist organization, international conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana, and money laundering.
Today’s reward offers are authorized by the Secretary under the NRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally and bring fugitives to justice. If you have information, please contact the DEA by phone (WhatsApp and Signal) at +1-858-298-5670, at Threema ID: PTJ4HS3J, or by email at MFSinaloaTipLine@dea.gov. If you are located outside of the United States, you may also contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are located in the United States, you may also contact the local DEA field office.
ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.
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