High-ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel have been charged in a federal superseding indictment unsealed in East St. Louis, Illinois. The charges include narcoterrorism, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances such as methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, and money laundering.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, “The Sinaloa Cartel relies on drug trafficking to finance its terrorism against the American people while spreading poison in our communities. Today’s indictment is a significant blow against this terrorist organization’s infrastructure as we carry out President Trump’s mission of dismantling and destroying the cartels.”
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft said, “The Sinaloa Cartel is a vicious international criminal organization that spreads terror through intimidation, torture, and murder. The entire enterprise is financed through a drug distribution network that includes southern Illinois. Today’s superseding indictment targets some of the highest level of Sinaloa leadership demonstrating our commitment to use every possible tool to crush this cartel, dismantling its operations, and protecting our community from its narcoterrorism.”
DEA Administrator Terrance Cole commented on the scope of the case: “Today’s announcement in the Southern District of Illinois is monumental in our fight to eliminate the Sinaloa Cartel. The extraordinary work of the St. Louis Field Division and their partners resulted in the seizure of nearly 800 pounds of fentanyl and exposed a money laundering network that pushed millions in cartel profits through U.S. banks. This is not a street-corner operation— it is a cartel pipeline that has flooded the Midwest with significant amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. We continue the fight, using all the resources of the United States government, to destroy the Sinaloa Cartel.”
According to prosecutors, over one week law enforcement arrested 15 defendants associated with the Sinaloa Cartel across several states during an operation that removed more than 400 kilograms of fentanyl, nearly 80 kilograms of methamphetamine and 50 kilograms of cocaine from communities around southern Illinois.
The indictment alleges that between January 2020 and July 2025, 26 individuals participated in trafficking drugs sourced from Mexico into southern Illinois as part of a broader distribution pipeline managed by high-level members of the cartel.
President Donald Trump designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on February 19, 2025 via Executive Order 14157 signed earlier that year. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this designation alongside seven other organizations classified as FTOs and Specially Designated Global Terrorists under federal law.
Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale noted ongoing efforts by postal inspectors: “Fentanyl is destroying lives and devastating communities across the country. Every pill, every powder, every shipment, every sale of this drug has the potential to take a life,” he said. “Postal inspectors remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop the flow of this deadly drug in our mailstream and hold criminals who profit from poisoning our neighborhoods accountable.”
DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent Michael Davis added: “We will not tolerate drug cartels smuggling their poison into our American communities… The DEA… works relentlessly to identify and arrest anyone engaging in manufacturing, distribution or sales…”
Special Agent William Steenson from IRS Criminal Investigation highlighted financial tracking efforts: “Drug traffickers will stop at nothing to continue profiting from… dangerous drugs throughout our communities… IRS-CI’s special agents are experts at tracing funding sources… We’re committed to protecting our communities by investigating anyone involved…”
United States Marshal David C. Davis commended investigators’ work: “This indictment illustrates the reach of DEA in combating distribution… within Southern District of Illinois through Sinaloa Cartel…”
This investigation was part of Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative combining resources from multiple agencies including Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood—to address illegal immigration impacts and transnational crime.
Agencies involved included DEA St. Louis Field Division; IRS Criminal Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karelia Rajagopal, Laura Reppert and Thomas Leggans for Southern District of Illinois.
A previous indictment filed March 2023 charged Earl Frank along with ten others for related offenses tied to this conspiracy; several have pleaded guilty or await sentencing while others maintain not guilty pleas.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
