Rosa De Arcos, who was wanted for drug trafficking charges since 2018, has been extradited from Mexico to the United States and arraigned in federal court in San Diego. She faces a four-count indictment that includes charges of importing and conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine.
Public records show that De Arcos was arrested in May 2017 after authorities found more than 34 pounds of fentanyl hidden in her Jeep Wrangler. Despite objections from prosecutors, she was released on bond. Law enforcement had already obtained wiretap evidence capturing conversations between De Arcos, her co-defendant Maria Elena Urena Cervantes, and others about drug trafficking activities. The intercepted communications included discussions about methamphetamine and cocaine importation earlier that year by Urena with assistance from De Arcos. That shipment was seized by authorities.
Urena was later arrested in December 2017 and also released on bond. Both women appeared in court during 2017 and 2018 but failed to appear for a status hearing set for November 19, 2018, before their scheduled trial date the following month. After missing the hearing, both fled to Mexico, prompting a judge to issue no bail arrest warrants and the forfeiture of their bonds.
On December 4, 2018, a grand jury indicted both defendants on charges that included bail jumping. The United States requested extradition for both women. Urena was arrested in Mexico in September 2023 and extradited back to the United States three months later. She pleaded guilty in July 2024 to drug trafficking offenses involving De Arcos and is scheduled for sentencing on December 15, 2025.
Law enforcement continued searching for De Arcos until her arrest in April 2025 by Mexican authorities. She was extradited on August 8, 2025.
De Arcos’s next court appearance is set for August 25, 2025, before Judge Thomas J. Whelan.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Orabona and Shauna Prewitt are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted with securing De Arcos’s arrest and extradition from Mexico.
The agencies involved in investigating this case include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), United States Marshal Service, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, San Bernardino Police Department, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
According to federal law referenced in the indictment documents:
– Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years plus up to $10 million in fines.
– Importation charges related to methamphetamine, cocaine or fentanyl carry similar penalties.
– Bail jumping is punishable by up to ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
As stated: “The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
