Ivan Reyes Arzate, 46, a Former Mexican Federal Police Commander, Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy in New York

Brooklyn, NY – Ivan Reyes Arzate, a former Mexican Federal Police Officer and Commander of the Mexican Federal Police’s Sensitive Investigative Unit, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Brooklyn to cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

According to the indictment, Reyes Arzate received thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for agreeing to assist the El Seguimiento 39 drug cartel ship cocaine from Mexico to the United States. The El Seguimiento 39 cartel is associated with the Sinaloa Cartel, the Beltran Leyva Organization, and other Mexico-based cartels.

“By accepting thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for information about law enforcement’s investigation into the El Seguimiento 39 cartel, Arzate forged a deplorable alliance with drug traffickers, and betrayed not only the people of Mexico he was sworn to protect, but also his law enforcement partners who put themselves at risk to disrupt the cartel,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace.

Reyes Arzate, who was assigned to the SIU from 2003 to 2016, was appointed SIU Commander in 2008. He worked closely with U.S. law enforcement officials, including the DEA, HSI, NYPD, and NYSP, to combat narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and other criminal activities.

HSI Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Ricky J. Patel stated, “At the time when Arzate commanded a special unit of the Mexican Federal Police and worked closely with law enforcement officials from the U.S., he was also meeting with the leadership of several Mexico-based cartels. He chose to selfishly serve his own interest by taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from the cartels in exchange for sensitive information about U.S. investigations.”

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and was carried out in coordination with the full force of U.S. law enforcement. Arzate will now have to answer for his crimes when he learns his sentence.

The guilty plea should serve as a warning to those who choose to abuse their position of trust and put others in danger for financial gain, said NYSP Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen. The State Police will continue to work with their law enforcement partners to prevent cartels from shipping deadly narcotics to the United States and to hold accountable those who mistakenly think they can get away with and benefit from these types of crimes.

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