Pedro Inzunza Coronel, a man wanted by the U.S. on charges of trafficking large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine, was killed Sunday during an anti-drug operation conducted by Mexican military forces in the northwestern state of Sinaloa. Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch confirmed Coronel’s death on social media, stating that naval personnel detained two members of Coronel’s criminal cell, and during an attack on the forces, Coronel, also known as “Pichon,” was killed.
Coronel and his father, Pedro Inzunza Noriega, were charged in May by the U.S. Department of Justice with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and money laundering as leaders of a faction of the now-defunct Beltran Leyva Organization, once affiliated with the Sinaloa cartel. Authorities allege the pair trafficked tens of thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the U.S., and Mexican authorities seized more than 1.65 tons of fentanyl from their holdings, marking the largest fentanyl seizure in history. U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson noted that Coronel faced accusations including murder, kidnapping, torture, and violent debt collection tied to drug trafficking, emphasizing the success of joint efforts between the two nations against dangerous criminal networks.
The operation comes amid increased pressure from President Donald Trump, who has urged Mexico to step up its anti-drug trafficking measures and threatened tariffs on Mexican exports if enforcement does not improve. In recent months, Mexico has collaborated with U.S. authorities on major extraditions, sending 26 high-ranking cartel figures to the United States, including leaders from groups affiliated with the Jalisco New Generation cartel and suspects linked to past violent crimes.