United States is offering rewards of up to $5 million each for information leading to the arrests or convictions of René Arzate‑García and Alfonso Arzate‑García, two brothers alleged to be high‑ranking bosses in Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, the U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday.
The State Department said the combined $10 million offer targets the siblings, also known as “La Rana” and “Aquiles,” who are accused of leading the La Mayiza faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Tijuana, Baja California, and overseeing the trafficking of large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana into the United States.
U.S. authorities describe the brothers as “plaza bosses” for the cartel, with René Arzate‑García in charge of the Tijuana plaza that controls drug trafficking routes through the Southern California border region. Court documents allege that he has imported thousands of kilograms of drugs, laundered millions of dollars in proceeds, and engaged in kidnappings, executions, and extortion on the cartel’s behalf.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Justice have also unsealed a superseding indictment charging René Arzate‑García with narcoterrorism and material support of terrorism, alongside drug trafficking and money‑laundering counts, while Alfonso Arzate‑García remains a fugitive sought in related indictments filed in the Southern District of California.
The reward is being administered under the State Department’s Narcotics Rewards Program, which aims to encourage the public and law‑enforcement partners to share actionable intelligence that could lead to the capture or conviction of high‑level cartel operatives.
Analysts say the move reflects Washington’s intensified focus on dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel’s leadership structure amid a surge in fentanyl‑related overdoses across the United States.
