One of Mexico's most notorious cartel leaders, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, has long been a thorn in the side of law enforcement. But in a shocking turn of events, El Mayo was found in US custody on Thursday, marking a major victory for authorities. The story of how the septuagenarian was lured into the US is an intriguing one, involving careful planning, and a bit of luck.
For around 35 years, the Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Zambada had eluded the law enforcement agencies. Then how was he duped at the age of 76? The son of jailed Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was behind the act. Joaquin Guzman Lopez was also arrested along with Zambada when their flight landed at El Paso, Texas on Thursday.
According to sources, Zambada's arrest followed lengthy surrender talks between US authorities and El Chapo's son.
Lopez had convinced Zambada to board the plane by telling him that they were going to see real estate in northern Mexico. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officials were already at the airport waiting for the duo's arrival.
"The two individuals got off the plane and were taken into custody calmly," said a witness at the airport.
The wheelchair-bound Sinaloa Cartel leader already pleaded not guilty to the multiple charges against him including drug trafficking in a federal court in Texas.
According to Mike Vigil, a former DEA agent, the 'Kingpin strategy'--focusing on bringing down individual cartel leaders is rarely successful, reported BBC.
Why was El Mayo betrayed?
It seems Lopez had betrayed El Mayo due to his desire to obtain a more favourable plea bargain deal from the US authorities and help his brother, Ovidio, who was arrested and extradited to the US in 2023.
Both El Chapo and El Mayo had together founded the biggest and most powerful criminal group in the world -Sinaloa Cartel- in the late 1980s. Guzman, known as “El Chapo,” was arrested in Guatemala in 1993 on homicide and drug charges and deported to Mexico. Reportedly, he had escaped the prison in 2001 by bribing prison guards to smuggle him out in a laundry truck.
In 2014, he was arrested but escaped again. Later he was arrested for a third time in 2016 and then extradited to the US.
In a major trial, he was convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn in 2018 and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years.
Lopez is one of four sons of El Chapo, who inherited their father's faction of the cartel. Joaquin and Ovidio have the same mother, while the other two siblings – Ivan and Jesus Alfredo – hail from El Chapo's first marriage.
The US government had offered a reward of up to $15 million for any information leading to the capture of Zambada.
Along with several charges, both are accused of allegedly leading the cartel's criminal operations, including manufacturing and trafficking of deadly fentanyl.
According to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable.
Fentanyl overdose deaths are now the leading cause of death for Americans between 18 and 45.
