Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of the cartel’s other co-founder, Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, were arrested in El Paso, Texas. The surprise arrest happened according to the New York Times at a small airport near El Paso where Ismael Zambada García had evaded authorities as one of the leading figures of a major Mexican drug cartel for many years.
They were arrested in Texas, US attorney General Merrick said, calling the cartel “one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world.””Both men are facing multiple charges in the United States for leading the Cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks,” he added.
A Narco thriller come to life
On Thursday evening, a Beechcraft King Air turboprop landed at a small municipal airport outside El Paso. One of Mexico’s most wanted men stepped off: Ismael Zambada García, also known as El Mayo. For decades now he has managed to elude both Mexican and American law enforcement agencies despite having a $15 million bounty on his head from US authorities. Living frugally but luxuriously in Sinaloa’s mountains he always kept ahead—until today.
The cross-border flight that led to his capture was orchestrated by an unlikely betrayer: Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of Zambada García’s former partner in crime, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. According to US officials however; real estate inspection was just a ruse into which Lopez tricked him forcing him onto that plane that ended up flying to Texas unbeknownst to him.
Betrayal by a close ally
It was surprising when Joaquín Guzmán López turned against his allies. His brothers inherited their father’s faction of the cartel, and tensions between them and Zambada García had been simmering since El Chapo was extradited to the US in 2017. Younger Guzmán’s motivation could have been driven by his desire to secure a good deal for himself and his brother Ovidio Guzmán López already under US custody.
The American law enforcement had an ongoing secret communication with Guzmán López that increased in frequency after Ovidio was extradited to Chicago late last September.This finally led to the delivery of Zambada García by Guzmán López into US hands, a huge win for American prosecutors.
A capture years in the making
Zambada García’s arrest represents one of the most significant drug trafficking blows ever seen. It also poses several questions regarding US law enforcement and possible Mexican involvement. The Mexican Secretary of Security Rosa Icela Rodríguez said that it was not until Zambada García and Guzmán López were taken into custody that her government learned about it; they did not play any role in their apprehension.
Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador demanded a full briefing from the US on what took place insisting on respect between the two nations.
Pleading not guilty
Zambada García appeared in court in Texas on Friday where he entered a plea of not guilty to drug conspiracy charges thought due to his age—estimated around seventy—and current condition he had arrived at court, wheelchair-bound. Waiving his right to be present at arraignment next Wednesday with his case being overseen by US District Judge Kathleen Cardone.
Those Texas charges to which Zambada pleaded not guilty included continuing criminal enterprise, narcotics importation conspiracy, and money laundering.
In an April 2012 indictment, prosecutors allege that Zambada and El Chapo’s leadership resulted in a cartel member’s kidnapping of a Texas resident in 2009 for the loss of marijuana shipment and a U.S. citizen with his family in 2010; both were killed and their bodies dumped in Juarez, Mexico.
Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez are both charged with multiple drug-related offenses in the United States for flooding American cities with fentanyl and other drugs. Fentanyl overdoses have become the leading cause of death for Americans aged between 18-45.
Dissimilarities in styles
According to US authorities, the Sinaloa Cartel traffics drugs to more than fifty nations and is one of the two most powerful criminal organizations in Mexico.
Zambada has remained behind the scenes working silently as an old school operator while his sons have taken up different roles within the cartels each representing different generations. On the other hand, El Chapo’s sons have gained notoriety rising through cartel ranks; they are more flamboyant seeking attention while at it. They are also viewed as more violent and impulsive than Zambada who is seen as calculating about every move he makes.
Impacts and consequences
The taking into custody of Zambada García may have far-reaching effects on organized crime in Mexico. Should this happen experts predict that fighting could break out inside Sinaloa Cartel itself thus increasing violence as rival factions fight for supremacy. Already, 200 special forces soldiers from the Mexican military have been deployed to Culiacán, where they will be responsible for maintaining law and order since it is identified as being under control by cartels.
This cooperation between Zambada García with American authorities could potentially expose areas of corruption involving the Mexican government, this is expected to worsen the relationship between U.S.A and Mexico. As much as key figures in the cartels are detained, drug trafficking may still continue even though such actions on part of law enforcement agencies are considered as big victories.
The Sinaloa Cartel has become the main target for US authorities, who say it is significant that they are believed to be the largest suppliers of fentanyl to America. The cartel reaches out worldwide whereby it traffic drugs in more than fifty countries. Recently captured El Mayo Zambada was a godfather figure in underground circles and this arrests signifies a turning point in global crime war.
