Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, is one of the world’s most influential drug lords. Finally, he was captured by US Federal agents in El Paso, Texas on Thursday. Aged 76, Zambada co-founded the cartel with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman – currently imprisoned in the US. Guzman’s son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, was also arrested on Thursday, according to the US justice department.
US prosecutors charged Zambada in February 2024 with a conspiracy to make and deal out fentanyl, one of the most powerful drugs – even more than heroin.
Given a statement on Thursday evening, US Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the two men lead “one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world.” He also said that Zambada and Guzman Lopez are among the many Sinaloa cartel leaders and members being held accountable by the US Justice Department.
The Attorney said that fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the US has ever faced, and the Justice Department will continue to chase all cartel leaders who are responsible for harming communities. The US prosecutors said that the Sinaloa cartel is the main supplier of drugs to the US, and is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45.
Money Offered for Zambada’s Capture
DEA or the US Drug Enforcement Administration has offered up to $15 million for capturing El Mayo Zambada. In 2019, at the time of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s trial, his lawyers claimed that Zambada bribed the entire Mexican government to live openly without fear of arrest.
Further, Guzman’s lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, told jurors that his client was in control of nothing and it was El Mayo Zambada who was in charge. As per the US State Department, Zambada also owns many legitimate businesses in Mexico, such as in Mexico, including a large milk company, a bus line, a hotel, and various real estate properties. Apart from the fentanyl charges, El Mayo Zambada is also facing charges in the US for kidnapping, money laundering, drug trafficking, murder, and organized crime.
Back in May 2024, Eliseo Imperial Castro, the nephew of Zambada, called “Cheyo Antrax” was killed in an ambush in Mexico. He was also wanted by US authorities.
El Mayo Zambada Arrest
US authorities have been chasing Zambada for decades as he always avoided his capture, so his arrest in Mexico came as a surprise. The details of how he is captured are still not clear, but it seems they flew into the United States. Allegedly, he was tricked into boarding the plane by a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa cartel after a long operation by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI.
With more details of the arrest coming out, it is observed that Zambada’s arrest will likely be seen by President Joe Biden’s administration as one of the DEA’s most important actions in years.
In the late 1980s, when the Guadalajara cartel fell apart, it was Zambada who helped start the Sinaloa cartel. Though Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was the public face for the cartel, El Mayo Zambada was thought to be the ring leader.
El Mayo Zambada first made his connections with Colombian cartels to smuggle cocaine and heroin into the US, and more recently, fentanyl. His leadership lasted through changes in both Mexican and US presidents, continuous government anti-drug efforts, and ongoing threats from rival drug traffickers. This is a significant achievement in the violent and dangerous world of drug trafficking. However, his long-standing power seems to have ended in El Paso, Texas, a city heavily affected by fentanyl, much of which his organization smuggled in.
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