Sinaloa Cartel Leader Charged with Narcoterrorism, Material Support of Terrorism and Drug Trafficking
$5 Million Reward Offered for Information Leading to the Arrest and/or Conviction of René Arzate-García aka “La Rana”
DEA Headquarters
The Drug Enforcement Administration, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of State, has announced reward offers of up to $5 million each for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of brothers René Arzate-García, also known as “La Rana,” and Alfonso Arzate-García, also known as “Aquiles.” The brothers are high-level members of the La Mayiza faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Tijuana, Mexico, and among DEA’s most wanted fugitives.
The $5 million reward offers, and a dedicated DEA tipline or information specific to the Arzate-García brothers, are intended to end the United States’ pursuit of these alleged drug traffickers who have jointly controlled the Tijuana Plaza for the Sinaloa Cartel for the past 15 years. “La Rana” and “Aquiles” are known to use violence, strategic alliances, and deep local influence - including political and police corruption - to retain authority over the Tijuana Plaza.
A superseding indictment unsealed in the Southern District of California on February 26, 2026, charges “La Rana” 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. The Arzate-García brothers were first indicted in the Southern District of California in 2014.
The Sinaloa Cartel remains one of the most powerful and far-reaching transnational criminal organizations in the world, playing an integral role in the global distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin.
On February 20, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT).
DEA encourages anyone with information about René Arzate-García a/k/a “La Rana” and/or Alfonso Arzate-García a/k/a “Aquiles” to contact DEA at +1-858-298-5670 (WhatsApp/Signal) or MFSinaloaTipLine@dea.gov (email).
All identities are kept strictly confidential.
