Mexican authorities have dealt a significant blow to the country's notorious fentanyl trafficking scene by killing one of its top players, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, alias "El Pichón". The Mexican navy conducted an anti-drug operation in the north-western state of Sinaloa on Sunday, resulting in the death of Coronel, who was also a key leader of the Beltran Leyva Organization, a faction of the once-powerful Sinaloa Cartel.
Coronel's alleged crimes stretched far and wide, with US authorities accusing him of trafficking tens of thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the country, as well as being involved in narco-terrorism charges. The US Department of Justice had charged his father, Pedro Inzunza Noriega, and Coronel himself last year with narco-terrorism in connection with massive amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin trafficking into the US.
According to officials, Coronel was at the helm of one of the largest and most sophisticated fentanyl production networks in the world, working closely with other notorious cartel leaders. His untimely demise is a significant development in the ongoing war against Mexico's deadly narcotics trade.
Mexican authorities have seized multiple locations controlled by the Inzunza-Noriega duo, including a record-breaking 1.65 tons of fentanyl last year. This latest operation has yielded several more seizures, including weapons, vehicles, and chemical precursors used in drug production.
The US Ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, hailed the operation as a triumph, praising the joint efforts between the two nations in combating transnational crime. "These results reflect what our nations can achieve when we work together against those who pose a threat to our citizens," he wrote on social media.
Coronel's alleged crimes stretched far and wide, with US authorities accusing him of trafficking tens of thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the country, as well as being involved in narco-terrorism charges. The US Department of Justice had charged his father, Pedro Inzunza Noriega, and Coronel himself last year with narco-terrorism in connection with massive amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin trafficking into the US.
According to officials, Coronel was at the helm of one of the largest and most sophisticated fentanyl production networks in the world, working closely with other notorious cartel leaders. His untimely demise is a significant development in the ongoing war against Mexico's deadly narcotics trade.
Mexican authorities have seized multiple locations controlled by the Inzunza-Noriega duo, including a record-breaking 1.65 tons of fentanyl last year. This latest operation has yielded several more seizures, including weapons, vehicles, and chemical precursors used in drug production.
The US Ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, hailed the operation as a triumph, praising the joint efforts between the two nations in combating transnational crime. "These results reflect what our nations can achieve when we work together against those who pose a threat to our citizens," he wrote on social media.