U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)Â announced it is seeking public help to locate Omar Guillermo Cuen-Lugo, a former Mexican Federal Police officer wanted for allegedly overseeing cocaine shipments from Mexico into the United States for the Sinaloa Cartel. His last known locations include Tijuana, Mexico, and Los Angeles, California.
According to ICE, Cuen-Lugo is identified as a key figure in narcotics transportation for an organization linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. He faces federal charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to launder money. The case is managed by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations division, which has issued a federal arrest warrant. The public is encouraged to provide tips anonymously but not to attempt apprehension.
In the Baja California-California border sector, cocaine accounted for 13.7 percent of drug seizures between December 2022 and November 2024, with an average of 1,920.3 kilograms seized per quarter. The Sinaloa Cartel controls the region south of San Diego and uses underground tunnels for smuggling operations. Since 1993, Border Patrol agents have discovered and destroyed more than 95 such tunnels in the San Diego area. In fiscal year 2025, apprehensions of illegal border crossers in California totaled 137,917.
The trafficking and abuse of cocaine remain significant drug threats in the United States. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), recent forensic data indicates that one in four cocaine samples also contained fentanyl. As of December 16, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations seized 70,080 pounds of cocaine nationwide. In fiscal year 2024, federal courts handled 18,029 drug trafficking cases with an average sentence of 82 months.
ICE was established in 2003 by merging components from the former U.S. Customs Service and Immigration and Naturalization Service. The agency employs over 20,000 personnel across more than 400 offices worldwide with an annual budget of about $8 billion. Its focus areas include Homeland Security Investigations, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and legal advisory functions aimed at protecting national security.
