DOJ Indicts Mexican National for Aiding Cartel Designated as Terrorist Group
The Justice Department has indicted Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, a 39-year-old Mexican national, for supplying grenades and other support to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), now officially designated as a foreign terrorist organization. This marks the first U.S. case of its kind involving terrorism charges linked to a cartel.
Additional Charges and Co-Defendants Named
Navarro-Sanchez is also charged with smuggling undocumented immigrants, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and drug distribution. Two co-defendants, Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez and Gustavo Castro-Medina, face similar charges tied to firearms, narcotics, and human trafficking operations.
CJNG’s Violent Reach and Terrorist Designation
CJNG operates globally, controlling large portions of the drug trade and conducting violent acts, including drone attacks and assassinations. The recent FTO designation allows the DOJ to pursue harsher penalties and expands legal tools against cartels operating across U.S. borders.
Guatemalan Official Indicted for Cocaine Smuggling
In a separate case, Guatemalan politician Freddy Salazar Flores was indicted for helping move over 50 metric tons of cocaine into Mexico and the U.S. between 2010 and 2017. His group, Los Huistas, allegedly served as a key link in the supply chain from South America to North America’s drug markets.
