An alleged fentanyl trafficker was killed Sunday during an anti-drug operation conducted by the Mexican military, according to officials.
Pedro Inzunza Coronel, who used the alias “Pichon,” died during the operation in which authorities seized drugs and other items, Mexican Secretary of Security Omar H. Garcia Harfuch said in a Nov. 30 post shared to his verified X account. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California had an extradition order against Coronel for alleged connections to importing and distributing fentanyl and cocaine. The anti-drug operation took place in Sinaloa, a state in Mexico’s northwest, according to CBS News.
“In an operation led by the Secretariat of the Navy @SEMAR_mx through investigative efforts. Properties and laboratories were located where weapons, vehicles, drugs, chemical precursors were seized, two operators of this criminal cell were detained and upon attacking the naval personnel, Pedro ‘N’ Pichón lost his life,” Harfuch wrote.
En una operación encabezada por la Secretaría de Marina @SEMAR_mx mediante labores de investigación. Se ubicaron inmuebles y laboratorios donde se aseguraron, armas, vehículos, drogas, precursores químicos, se detuvieron a dos operadores de esta célula delictiva y al agredir al…
— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) November 30, 2025
In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) charged Coronel and his father Pedro Inzunza Noriega with narco-terrorism and material support of terrorism. These charges were connected to the alleged trafficking of massive amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin across the U.S. border. They were also charged with money laundering as heads of the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO), a dangerous group within the Sinaloa Cartel.
In December 2024, Mexican law enforcement conducted the largest seizure of fentanyl globally by seizing 1,500 kilograms of the drug in multiple locations then overseen by Coronel and Noriega, according to the DOJ. (RELATED: War Secretary Pete Hegseth Releases Latest Video Of Narco-Terrorists Getting Blown Up)
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson congratulated the Mexican military on the successful operation in a Nov. 30 X post.
Felicidades al @GabSeguridadMX por su exitosa operación en Michoacán contra el Cártel de Sinaloa. Pedro “N” (Pichón) fue abatido y otros dos integrantes del cártel fueron detenidos en una operación de gran escala encabezada por @SEMAR_mx, en la que se aseguraron narcóticos,… pic.twitter.com/K7qQI9WRoX
— Embajador Ronald Johnson (@USAmbMex) December 1, 2025
“Pichón was accused of multiple crimes in Mexico, including homicides, kidnappings, torture, and violent debt collection for drug trafficking. He was also wanted in the United States for various crimes,” Johnson wrote.
“This operation adds to recent detentions of cartel members in Spain on charges of homicide and kidnapping, as well as hundreds of additional arrests in the United States. These results reflect what our nations can achieve when they work together against those who pose a threat to our citizens,” the ambassador continued.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on the first day of his second term designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
Trump has also conducted multiple strikes on alleged narco trafficking boats.