Jesus Guzman-Castro, a senior member of the Sinaloa Cartel, appeared in federal court in Brooklyn after being transferred from Mexico to face charges related to cocaine trafficking. Guzman-Castro, also known as “Chuy,” “El Narizon,” and “Pinocho,” was arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho on an indictment alleging his involvement in a large-scale cocaine distribution conspiracy. He was arrested in Mexico following a provisional arrest request from the Eastern District of New York and transferred to the United States under Mexico’s National Security Law on August 12, 2025. The court ordered him detained pending trial.
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella, Jr., and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division, announced the development.
“As alleged, Guzman-Castro was a senior member of the Sinaloa Cartel, a prolific and violent drug trafficking organization that has flooded American streets with deadly narcotics for decades,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Guzman-Castro will now face justice in a courtroom in the United States for all the harm his actions have wrought. The total elimination of drug cartels is a national priority, and the Department of Justice and our Office are fully committed to carrying out that objective.”
Nocella acknowledged assistance from several agencies including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina; DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division; DEA’s office in Mexico City; U.S. Marshals Service; Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs; and Mexican authorities.
“The arrest and transfer of Jesus Guzman-Castro is the result of the relentless efforts of the DEA and our law enforcement partners to dismantle the most dangerous drug trafficking organizations” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “For decades, Guzman-Castro helped flood American streets with deadly narcotics, and the DEA remains committed to pursuing those who threaten the safety and well-being of our communities.”
According to court filings, Guzman-Castro held a high-ranking position within the Sinaloa Cartel—a Mexican criminal organization previously led by Ismael Zambada Garcia (“El Mayo”) and Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera (“El Chapo”). Prosecutors allege he supervised subordinates involved with armed security operations, transportation logistics for narcotics shipments, as well as money laundering activities tied to cartel proceeds.
The indictment charges that between December 2015 and March 2021, Guzman-Castro coordinated international cocaine shipments sourced from Guatemala through Mexico into U.S. territory while overseeing financial operations connected to these activities.
Prosecutors emphasize that these charges remain allegations until proven otherwise at trial; if convicted on these charges Guzman-Castro could face up to life imprisonment.
This prosecution follows an ongoing investigation by Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), whose mission is identifying major drug traffickers along with associated weapons traffickers or money launderers using multi-agency intelligence strategies spanning federal through local levels.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America—an initiative focused on combating illegal immigration as well as transnational organized crime groups like cartels via combined resources from OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs.
