U.S. authorities successfully apprehended Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, one of Mexico’s most legendary drug lords, thanks to the cooperation of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez. The arrest, which took place at a small municipal airport near El Paso, Texas, on Thursday, marks a significant victory for law enforcement agencies that have been pursuing Zambada for over four decades.
The operation was set into motion when Guzman Lopez, son of the former Sinaloa Cartel kingpin who is currently serving a life sentence in the U.S., decided to surrender. However, the real coup came when he convinced Zambada, his father’s long-time partner, to board the plane under the pretense of inspecting real estate in northern Mexico. According to U.S. officials, Zambada, in his late 70s and using a wheelchair, was unaware of Guzman Lopez’s plan and believed he was on a routine trip.
As the propeller plane approached the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. agents from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) rushed to meet it. They barely reached the Dona Ana County International Jetport in time to intercept the plane, where they calmly took both men into custody. A worker at the airport described seeing federal agents waiting on the runway as the plane landed.
The arrest was confirmed by a Department of Justice statement on Thursday evening, following an exclusive report by Reuters. The detailed account of the operation, pieced together through interviews with current and former U.S. officials, reveals a meticulously planned operation that hinged on Guzman Lopez’s betrayal of Zambada. The younger Guzman, about 38 years old, is believed to have sought a more favorable plea bargain deal from U.S. authorities, likely motivated by the desire to assist his brother, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, who was arrested and extradited to the U.S. in 2023.
Zambada’s arrest has sent shockwaves through the Mexican drug trafficking world, potentially igniting a violent power struggle within the Sinaloa Cartel between the Guzman and Zambada factions. Zambada, who co-founded the cartel with “El Chapo” Guzman in the late 1980s, is considered one of the most significant traffickers in Mexico’s history. He faces multiple drug charges, including continuing criminal enterprise, narcotics importation conspiracy, and money laundering. His lawyer, Frank Perez, stated that Zambada did not come to the U.S. voluntarily and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Guzman Lopez is scheduled to appear in court next week in Chicago, where he was first indicted on drug charges six years ago. Known as one of the “Los Chapitos,” he is one of El Chapo’s four sons who inherited their father’s faction of the cartel. The brothers have faced intense pressure from U.S. authorities, who have labeled them as major fentanyl traffickers responsible for a surge in overdose deaths in the U.S.
The capture of Zambada, for whom the U.S. had offered a $15 million reward, alongside Guzman Lopez, who had a $5 million bounty, underscores the relentless efforts of U.S. law enforcement to dismantle powerful drug cartels. Former DEA official Ray Donovan attributes the recent defeats of key Sinaloa Cartel bosses to their involvement in fentanyl trafficking, which has become a top priority for U.S. authorities due to its devastating impact on American communities.
President Joe Biden lauded the arrests, reiterating his administration’s commitment to combating the fentanyl crisis. As the U.S. continues to target drug cartel leaders, the arrest of Zambada represents a significant milestone, highlighting the complex interplay of betrayals and strategic maneuvers that characterize the world of international drug trafficking.
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