Caught in Chicago: U.S. Marshals Arrest Rogelio Castro, a Fugitive They Tie to the Sinaloa Cartel, Wanted in West Texas on a Cocaine Warrant
Federal fugitive hunters in Chicago have arrested Rogelio Castro, a man the U.S. Marshals Service describes as “a fugitive associated with the Sinaloa Drug Cartel.” According to the agency, he was wanted in the Western District of Texas on a federal bench warrant for distributing large quantities of cocaine. The Marshals announced the arrest on social media on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, and Mexico’s El Financiero reported it the same day.
What the Marshals announced
The U.S. Marshals Service said Castro was arrested by its personnel assigned to the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Chicago Division and the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. El Financiero reported on Sept. 22 that the Marshals released the news that Tuesday and identified the warrant as coming from a federal court in Texas. The announcement did not give the date of the arrest.
The cartel link is the Marshals’ description. It has not been proven in court. The announcement did not say whether the Texas case itself accuses Castro of working for the Sinaloa Cartel.
What is still unknown
El Financiero reported that U.S. authorities gave no details about the drug-trafficking accusation against Castro and did not say when the search for him began. Infobae, reporting on Sept. 23, 2026, said the information released did not describe any role Castro may have had inside the organization or how much cocaine is attributed to him. Infobae also said his age, nationality and custody status were not provided.
A bench warrant is an arrest order issued by a court. The announcement did not say why this one was issued. No court date and no defense attorney had been publicly reported as of this writing. Castro is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Sinaloa backdrop
El Financiero noted that the Chicago arrest came the same day Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch announced the capture in Mazatlán of Jesús Antonio “N,” alias “El Peli,” described as an alleged operator for Genaro Aarón “N,” a member of the Los Chapitos faction, who handled logistics, supplies and drug money, according to García Harfuch. The paper linked the two arrests only by date. It also noted that Sinaloa has seen a violent internal fight between Los Chapitos and Los Mayos since September 2024, after co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada was arrested in the United States.
Sources
- El Financiero, “Detienen en Chicago a Rogelio Castro, fugitivo asociado al Cártel de Sinaloa buscado en Texas,” Sept. 22, 2026
- U.S. Marshals Service (@USMarshalsHQ) announcement on X, Sept. 22, 2026
- Infobae, “Golpe al Cártel de Sinaloa: capturan a fugitivo en Chicago perteneciente al grupo delictivo,” Sept. 23, 2026
This report reflects the sources above as of Sept. 24, 2026. The Narco Blog has not reviewed the Texas warrant or any charging documents, and the Marshals’ description of a cartel link is an allegation, not a court finding.