Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the 76-year-old alleged co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, along with Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s son, Joaquín Guzmán López, were arrested in a dramatic operation in El Paso, Texas.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Zambada was tricked by Guzmán López into boarding a private plane under the pretense of inspecting airfields for drug planes.
This ruse followed a months-long operation by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI. Zambada believed the plane would fly south to Mexico, but it landed instead in El Paso, where both men were taken into custody.
Guzmán López is believed to have surrendered to U.S. authorities and turned on Zambada because he “blamed El Mayo for the capture of his father,” according to a Fox News Correspondent.
Guzmán López is one of El Chapo’s sons and was elevated to the cartel’s top leadership in 2017 when his father was extradited to the U.S.
The pair were arrested in El Paso after exiting a private plane that was flown in from Mexico by the FBI. Guzmán López reportedly struck a deal with American law enforcement to surrender and turn in Zambada simultaneously, according to a source told DailyMail.
This strategic move marks a significant moment in the ongoing battle against the Sinaloa Cartel, known for its extensive drug trafficking operations.
Zambada faces multiple indictments in the U.S. for crimes related to drug trafficking and organized crime.
Despite being one of the most-wanted cartel leaders, Zambada managed to evade capture for decades by allegedly hiding in the Sierra Madre mountains and maintaining a low profile.
El Chapo, now serving a life sentence in a U.S. maximum-security prison, left a power vacuum within the cartel that has led to various factions vying for control.
Zambada’s arrest could potentially disrupt the cartel’s operations and lead to further instability within its ranks.
