Can a single woman coordinate the trafficking of weapons and people for one of the world’s most feared cartels? María del Rosario Navarro Sánchez—known as “La Chayo,” a key operative for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel—pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court.
Her case marks a historic judicial milestone. In May 2025, she became the first woman charged with providing material support to terrorism due to her direct ties to the “four-letter cartel.”
This charge came after the U.S. government, by order of Donald Trump, officially designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025.
“La Chayo” was captured on May 4, 2025, in Magdalena, Jalisco, during an operation announced by the head of the Secretariat of Security, Omar García Harf, after it was confirmed she was wanted by the FBI.
Subsequently, on January 20, 2026, she was transferred to Texas along with 36 other alleged organized crime operatives. According to Department of Justice investigations, the 40-year-old Navarro Sánchez conspired to supply grenades to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and coordinate the purchase and trafficking of firearms through intermediaries.
She admitted to hiring human smugglers to transport migrants and operating safe houses in El Paso, Texas, where arsenals, cash, and methamphetamines were stored. Also charged in the same legal proceeding were Luis Carlos Dávalos López and Gustavo Castro Medina.
Former Attorney General Pamela Bondi warned that organizations like the Jalisco New Generation Cartel wreak havoc and cause deaths on both sides of the border. After admitting that the cartel carries out murders and explosive attacks, Lachayo awaits sentencing, where he could face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Do you think charging cartel members with terrorism will curb their expansion? What is your take on the role of women in drug trafficking networks? We want to hear from you in the comments.
Source: Milenio
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