San Diego, California – Rosa De Arcos, a 45-year-old woman from Jalisco, Mexico, was extradited from Mexico and arraigned in federal court on a four-count indictment charging her with importation of, and conspiracy to distribute, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine.
According to public records, De Arcos was arrested in May 2017 for concealing more than 34 pounds of fentanyl in her 2008 Jeep Wrangler. De Arcos was released on bond over the United States’ objection.
Unbeknownst to De Arcos, law enforcement had previously obtained and received wiretap communications of De Arcos, and her co-defendant Maria Elena Urena Cervantes and others, discussing their drug trafficking exploits. This included the importation of methamphetamine and cocaine by Urena, aided by De Arcos, months earlier in January 2017, which was later seized by law enforcement.
Urena was arrested months later in December 2017 and was also released on bond. Both defendants made court appearances in 2017 and 2018. The case was scheduled for a jury trial on December 11, 2018, with a status hearing set for November 19, 2018. However, neither of the defendants appeared at the status hearing. Instead, both fled to Mexico. A judge issued no bail arrest warrants. The United States moved to forfeit the bonds.
On December 4, 2018, the grand jury returned the indictment against the women which included bail jumping charges. The United States sought extradition of both defendants. Following Urena’s arrest in Mexico in September 2023, she was extradited to the United States in December 2023 and pleaded guilty in July 2024, admitting to drug trafficking offenses with De Arcos.
For two more years, law enforcement continued to search for De Arcos until April 2025 when she was arrested in Mexico. On August 8, 2025, De Arcos was extradited to the United States. De Arcos is scheduled for a status hearing on August 25, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before the Honorable Thomas J. Whelan.
De Arcos is charged with four counts, including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, importation of methamphetamine and cocaine, importation of fentanyl, and bail jumping. The maximum penalty for each charge is life in prison, a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison, and a $10 million fine.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Orabona and Shauna Prewitt. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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