Mexican drug kingpin arrested near US-Mexico border, federal prosecutors say

EL PASO, TX (AZFamily) — The U.S. Justice Department has announced the arrest of one of the most notorious drug cartel leaders in the world.

Federal officials announced Thursday that Ismael Zambada Garcia, or “El Mayo,” co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel — and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of El Chapo — were arrested Thursday afternoon in El Paso, Texas.

Both are facing multiple charges related to drug trafficking and fentanyl manufacturing, federal officials said.

A $15 million reward had been issued by the United States for information leading to the arrest of Zambada Garcia. A $5 million reward had previously been offered for Guzman Lopez’s arrest.

“El Mayo and Guzman Lopez join a growing list of Sinaloa Cartel leaders and associates who the Justice Department is holding accountable in the United States.” the DOJ said in a news release. “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.”

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland posted a video statement on Friday morning about the arrests:

In 2021, a son of Zambada Garcia pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court to being a leader in the global drug-trafficking ring, according to the Associated Press. Zambada Garcia was wanted in connection to that case. Zambada Garcia was also indicted earlier this year for conspiracy to manufacture/distribute fentanyl.

According to the DEA, “the Sinaloa Cartel exerts near-total control over the border region south of Arizona, giving the cartel easy access to the San Luis Rio Colorado and Nogales [ports of entry].”

In recent years, Guzman’s sons have led a faction of the cartel known as the little Chapos, or “Chapitos” that has been identified as one of the main exporters of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, to the U.S. market. “El Chapo” Guzmán was sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. in 2019.

They were seen as more violent and flamboyant than Zambada. Their security chief was arrested by Mexican authorities in November.

One of them, Ovidio Guzmán López, was arrested and extradited to the U.S. last year. He pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges in Chicago in September.

Zambada, one of the longest-surviving capos in Mexico, was considered the strategist of the Sinaloa cartel, more involved in day-to-day operations than his flashier and better-known boss, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, whois serving a life sentence in the United States.

Strong ties to Colombian cocaine suppliers and his cells across the United States made Zambada one of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world. He had been among the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel since the 1970s, with their principal livelihood being the sale of narcotics in the United States, according to a U.S. Justice Department.

Zambada was an old-fashioned capo in an era of younger kingpins known for their flamboyant lifestyles of club-hopping and brutal tactics of beheading, dismembering and even skinning their rivals. While Zambada fought those who challenged him, he was known for concentrating on the business side of trafficking and avoiding gruesome cartel violence that would draw attention.

In an April 2010 interview with the Mexican magazine Proceso, he acknowledged that he lived in constant fear of going to prison and would contemplate suicide rather than be captured.

“I’m terrified of being incarcerated,” Zambada said. “I’d like to think that, yes, I would kill myself.”

The interview was surprising for a kingpin known for keeping his head down, but he gave strict instructions on where and when the encounter would take place, and the article gave no hint of his whereabouts.

Zambada reputedly won the loyalty of locals in his home state of Sinaloa and neighboring Durango through his largess, sponsoring local farmers and distributing money and beer in his birthplace of El Alamo.

Although little is known about Zambada’s early life, he is believed to have gotten his start in drug trafficking as an enforcer in the 1970s.

By the early 1990s, he was a major player in the Juarez cartel, transporting tons of cocaine and marijuana.

Zambada started gaining the trust of Colombian traffickers, allegiances that helped him come out on top in the cartel world of ever-shifting alliances. Eventually, he became so powerful that he broke off from the Juarez cartel, but still managed to keep strong ties with the gang and avoided a turf war. He also developed a partnership with “El Chapo” Guzman that would take him to the top of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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