René Arzate-García and his brother Alfonso Arzate-García have jointly controlled the Tijuana Plaza for the Sinaloa Cartel for the past 15 years, maintaining authority through violence, strategic alliances, and deep local influence, including political and police corruption. Despite ongoing conflicts, they continue to manage the plaza, making them key figures in sustaining cartel operations.
As controllers of a critical trafficking node in Tijuana at the U.S. border, the Arzate-García brothers have become key essential components of the cartel’s command-and-control structure. Their control of the Tijuana Plaza offers the Sinaloa Cartel a tactical advantage in maintaining dominance over rival organizations, ensuring no interruption to the busiest border crossing in the Western Hemisphere. Last year, the Trump Administration designated the Sinaloa Cartel as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
In 2014, the Arzate-García brothers were charged in the Southern District of California with drug trafficking offenses in separate indictments and have been fugitives since that time. On August 9, 2023, both brothers were designated by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Financial Assets Control under Executive Order 14059, “Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade.”
In February 2026, the Department of Justice announced a superseding indictment against René Arzate-García, charging him 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 U.S. Department of State is offering a REWARD OF UP TO $5 MILLION EACH for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of the Arzate-García brothers.
If you have information, please contact the DEA by phone (WhatsApp and Signal) at +1-858-298-5670, at Threema ID: PTJ4HS3J, or by email at MFSinaloaTipLine@dea.gov. If you are located outside of the United States, you may also contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are located in the United States, you may also contact the local DEA field office.
ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.
Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.