Max Matza & Will Grant, Mexico correspondent
BBC News
One of the world’s most powerful drug lords, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, has been arrested by U.S. federal agents in El Paso, Texas. Zambada, 76, co-founded the cartel with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is currently imprisoned in the U.S.
Also arrested was Guzman’s son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, according to the U.S. Justice Department. In February, Zambada was charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl, a drug implicated in the U.S. opioid crisis.
Reports indicate that Zambada was tricked into boarding a plane by a high-ranking Sinaloa member, part of a months-long operation involving Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI. He believed he was inspecting clandestine airstrips in southern Mexico but was instead flown to a private airfield near El Paso.
Lopez allegedly lured Zambada onto the plane under false pretenses. Mexican Security Minister Rosa Rodriguez stated that while her government was informed of the arrests, Mexican authorities were not involved in the operation.
Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called for full transparency from the U.S. regarding the capture, insisting on a detailed report rather than general statements. Reports suggest that Lopez turned against Zambada, blaming him for his father’s capture.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the significance of the arrests, noting that Zambada and Lopez lead one of the world’s most violent drug trafficking organizations. He described fentanyl as the deadliest drug threat facing the U.S. and vowed to hold accountable all responsible cartel members.
The Sinaloa cartel is identified as the largest supplier of drugs to the U.S., with fentanyl being the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 45. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had offered a reward of up to $15 million for Zambada’s capture.
During El Chapo’s trial in 2019, accusations surfaced that Zambada had bribed the Mexican government, claiming he operated without fear of prosecution. According to the U.S. State Department, Zambada also owns legitimate businesses in Mexico, including a milk company and a hotel, alongside various real estate assets.
Zambada faces multiple charges in the U.S., including drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, money laundering, and organized crime. At his initial court appearance, he pleaded not guilty, with his attorney stating that Zambada did not surrender voluntarily.
Scheduled for arraignment next Wednesday, Zambada’s arrest comes as a shock to many in Mexico, where he has long evaded authorities. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas stated that the Sinaloa cartel has pioneered fentanyl manufacturing, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths.
FBI Director Chris Wray highlighted the arrests as a commitment to dismantling violent transnational criminal organizations like the Sinaloa cartel. Zambada co-founded the cartel after the Guadalajara cartel’s collapse in the late 1980s, and despite the violent drug trade’s challenges, he maintained his position as a kingpin for decades.
However, this extraordinary resilience appears to have ended in El Paso, Texas, a city deeply affected by the influx of fentanyl smuggled by his organization.