Jesus Guzman-Castro, identified as a senior member of the Sinaloa Cartel, was arraigned in Brooklyn federal court on charges related to a large-scale cocaine distribution conspiracy. Guzman-Castro, a Mexican national, was arrested in Mexico following a provisional arrest request from the Eastern District of New York and transferred to the United States on August 12, 2025. He appeared before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho and was ordered detained pending trial.
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella, Jr., and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division, announced the arraignment.
“As alleged, Guzman-Castro was a senior member of the Sinaloa Cartel, a prolific and violent drug trafficking organization that has flooded American streets with deadly narcotics for decades,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Guzman-Castro will now face justice in a courtroom in the United States for all the harm his actions have wrought. The total elimination of drug cartels is a national priority, and the Department of Justice and our Office are fully committed to carrying out that objective.”
Nocella also acknowledged support from several agencies including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division, DEA’s office in Mexico City, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and authorities in Mexico.
“The arrest and transfer of Jesus Guzman-Castro is the result of the relentless efforts of the DEA and our law enforcement partners to dismantle the most dangerous drug trafficking organizations” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “For decades, Guzman-Castro helped flood American streets with deadly narcotics, and the DEA remains committed to pursuing those who threaten the safety and well-being of our communities.”
According to court documents, Guzman-Castro held a high-ranking position within the Sinaloa Cartel—an organization previously led by Ismael Zambada Garcia (“El Mayo”) and Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera (“El Chapo”). Prosecutors allege he managed operations involving armed personnel as well as transporters and money launderers. Between December 2015 and March 2021, he allegedly directed shipments totaling thousands of kilograms of cocaine sourced from Guatemala through Mexico into the United States while overseeing laundering activities involving millions in proceeds.
The indictment charges him with participating in an international cocaine distribution conspiracy; if convicted he faces up to life imprisonment. Prosecutors emphasized that these are allegations at this stage and that Guzman-Castro is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case stems from an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by federal prosecutors from Eastern District of New York along with DEA agents. OCDETF aims to disrupt major criminal networks involved in drug trafficking by coordinating federal resources with state and local agencies.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative focused on combating illegal immigration as well as eliminating transnational criminal organizations such as drug cartels through coordinated task force efforts.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Wang is leading prosecution efforts from EDNY’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.
