A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe, also known as “El Musico,” on narcoterrorism, drug, and firearm charges. Prosecutors allege that Gastelum Iribe led a violent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel’s Beltran Leyva group, which is designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
According to the indictment returned in the Northern District of Illinois, Gastelum Iribe oversaw the importation of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs into the United States. The shipments reportedly involved hundreds or thousands of kilograms at a time and were transported across the country using various means including cars, trucks, and rail cars.
The indictment alleges that Gastelum Iribe directed attacks against rivals and law enforcement personnel to protect his faction’s drug trafficking activities. These acts included ordering the murder of a Mexican police officer and two others. The cartel faction is also accused of arming its members with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and explosive devices; bribing public officials; and engaging in kidnappings and assaults.
Gastelum Iribe faces charges under terrorism statutes following President Trump’s Executive Order 14157 and a February designation by the Secretary of State naming the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. If convicted on these charges, he faces a mandatory life sentence. He is not currently in custody; authorities have issued an arrest warrant.
The case is being prosecuted by officials from both the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of California along with attorneys from the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section. Multiple agencies contributed to the investigation including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), FBI, and DEA.
The announcement was made jointly by Andrew S. Boutros, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Adam Gordon, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California; Reid Davis from FBI Washington Field Office; Shawn Gibson from HSI San Diego; and Terrance Cole from DEA.
This indictment comes as part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts among law enforcement agencies under programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs).
“Today’s narcoterrorism indictment of El Musico sends a powerful message that this Administration is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their highest-ranking members and associates accountable for poisoning the American public with illegal and harmful drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has a proud history going back many decades of prosecuting some of the nation’s biggest and most significant narcotrafficking cartel cases. Building on that tradition, under my leadership, our Office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of violent drug cartels, several of which, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have very deservedly been designated as foreign terrorist organizations. Working closely with other prosecutors and law enforcement partners across the United States, our goal remains unchanged: to disrupt and dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel’s drug empire and bring its leaders to justice.”
“As alleged, Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe led a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that flooded the United States with fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin and used murder and intimidation to protect its profits,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Galeotti. “The Sinaloa Cartel has been designated a foreign terrorist organization because of the kinds of crimes announced today. This indictment further demonstrates that the Criminal Division will use every tool at its disposal to target cartel leaders, including by holding them accountable for acts of terrorism against our country.”
“From narcocorridos to narcoterrorist, El Musico famously writes his own lyrics, but his next one will be written from the Bureau of Prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Gordon. “As El Musico once boasted,’La vida es curiosa,hoy soy poderoso,’but soon his ‘Rancho Querido’ will be nothing but a distant memory.”
“The indictment of El Musicoandthe dismantlementofthe leadership structureoftheseforeign terrorist organizations are direct results oft he unwavering commitmentofHomeland Security Investigations(HSI)andourlaw enforcement partners top rotecttheUnitedStates,”saidHSISACGibson.“Weremain resoluteinour missionto bring all membersofthesecriminalcartelsto justice ,regardlessofwhere they attemptto evade accountability.”
“Asa leaderofa factionoftheSinaloaCartel,GastelumIribeallegedlydirectedtheimportationofcocaine ,heroin,fentanyl,andotherlethaldrugsintotheUnitedStatesandoverseatatrociousactsofviolence ,includingkidnappingsandmurders,inMexico,”saidFBISACDavis.”Thesupersedingindictmentagainsthimistheresultofyearsofcollaborationamongmultiplefederalagenciesandjudicialdistricts.TheFBIandourpartnerswillcontinuetoworktowarddismantlingtheSinaloaCartelandbringingitsviolentleaders—includingElMusico—tojustice.”
“This indictmentsendsaclearanduncompromisingmessage:cartelleaderswhofloodourstreetswithfentanylandarmtheirnetworkswithmachinegunsandgrenadesarenotjustdrugtraffickers—theyareterrorists,”saidDEAAdministratorCole.”OscarManuelGastelumIribeandhisfactionturnedcartelviolenceintoacampaignofterror,targetingpolice,military,andciviliansalike.DEAremainsrelentlessinourpursuitofthesenarco-terrorists,andwewillnotstopuntiltheSinaloaCartel—andeveryorganizationlikeit—isdismantled ,itsleadersbroughtt ojustice,andAmericanfamiliesprotected.”
Authorities remind that an indictment does not constitute evidence or guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
