On Thursday, a small plane whizzed towards the US-Mexico border as American agents hurried to a small airport near El Paso, Texas. There, they arrested two members of a Mexican drug trafficking group. One of them is Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, one of the founders of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world’s largest drug cartels. Also apprehended was Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, the former partner of Zambada in the cartel.
According to Reuters, two current and two former US officials familiar with the situation revealed that Guzman Lopez had planned to surrender upon landing, while Zambada, the elderly drug lord, had no intentions of doing so and was deceived onto the plane by the younger man.
Before Zambada’s arrest, prolonged negotiations for surrender took place between US authorities and Guzman Lopez. Many US officials had given up hope that he would surrender. However, when he finally sent a message saying he would fly to the US with the drug lord they had been pursuing for forty years, they realized the gravity of the situation.
An anonymous US official stated, “The arrest of Zambada was like the icing on the cake, completely unexpected.”
Guzman Lopez reportedly convinced Zambada to board the plane, deceiving him by saying they were flying to northern Mexico to inspect real estate. A staff member at the Dona Ana County International Jetport near El Paso told Reuters that on Thursday afternoon, a Beechcraft King Air plane landed on the runway, where federal agents were waiting.
“After two passengers got off the plane… they were quietly taken into custody,” the staff member said, refusing to disclose their name for security reasons.
The unexpected arrest of the cunning Zambada and what appears to be a betrayal by Guzman Lopez, about 38 years old, has shocked the Mexican drug trafficking world. Zambada is considered one of the most influential drug traffickers in Mexican history, having co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel with “El Chapo” Guzman.
US authorities view drug cartel leaders as key targets and often strike plea deals with them to obtain information leading to the capture of other high-ranking cartel members.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the two men “face multiple charges in the United States for leading criminal activities of drug distribution, including their deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking network.”
Zambada appeared in court in Texas on Friday, pleading not guilty to drug-related charges. His lawyer, Frank Perez, stated that Zambada did not voluntarily come to the US.
Guzman Lopez is set to appear in court in Chicago next week. He was first indicted in the US about six years ago for drug-related crimes.
In recent years, the four sons of “El Chapo” Guzman, including Guzman Lopez, have faced immense pressure from US authorities, who consider them major drug trafficking targets, accusing them and the Sinaloa Cartel of smuggling large amounts of fentanyl into the US, a major cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 45.
President Joe Biden congratulated the arrest operation and pledged to continue combating the “scourge of fentanyl.” The US government has offered a $15 million reward for Zambada’s capture, as he co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel with “El Chapo” Guzman in the late 1980s, and a $5 million reward for Guzman Lopez’s capture.
Zambada, described as an extremely cautious and experienced drug cartel leader who prefers staying in the shadows, poses questions about how and why he ended up on that plane, unanswered as of now.
Mexican Interior Minister Rosa Rodriguez confirmed that the US government notified Mexico of the arrest, but Mexican authorities did not participate in the operation.
Matthew Allen, a former special agent of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona Division responsible for prosecuting Guzman Lopez and other members of the Sinaloa Cartel, indicated that Zambada and Guzman Lopez had been in regular talks with US officials over surrender for years.
Allen maintained regular contact with his former HSI colleagues, explaining how many drug traffickers, especially the younger generation, are realizing the benefits of surrendering to US authorities rather than risking death or capture by competitors in Mexico, potentially resulting in lifelong imprisonment. This surrender option presents the chance to serve time in jail, enjoy their wealth, and possibly enter witness protection programs.
“They see that, through this way, they can serve their sentence openly without living in constant fear for the rest of their lives,” he said.