- Apparently, drug lord El Mayo was flown to the United States against his will.
On July 31, Mexican drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada was forcibly flown into the U.S. against his will. U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar confirmed this at a press conference, as reported by "El Universal" and other media outlets. Meanwhile, Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of the imprisoned drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, surrendered to U.S. authorities on the same flight, according to Salazar.
Salazar stated that this was an operation conducted by drug cartels, but he did not provide further details. The U.S. government was not involved and was surprised by the incident. "We knew that Joaquín Guzmán was coming and would surrender, he surrendered and with him came the passenger (Zambada)," Salazar was quoted as saying.
U.S. Government Surprised by Arrival of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada
Following the arrest of the two, U.S. media reported, citing security officials, that Zambada had been deceived and lured into a trap.
Zambada was one of the most influential drug lords of the Sinaloa drug cartel and was wanted in the U.S. for conspiracy to manufacture cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, as well as murder and money laundering. The deadly drug fentanyl has caused a devastating health crisis in the U.S.
The 76-year-old "El Mayo" is an ex-partner of "El Chapo," who is serving a life sentence in the U.S. Four of his sons, including the recently arrested Guzmán López, have emerged as leaders of another faction of the Sinaloa cartel.
Sinaloa: Zambada Was Head of One of the Largest Cartels
Besides numerous smaller gangs, there are two major drug cartels in Mexico originating from the states of Sinaloa and Jalisco. They engage in violent conflicts over control of the drug trade and the smuggling of migrants seeking to enter the U.S.
Despite Salazar's initial statement, it was later revealed that Zambada was indeed arrested and not just a passenger on the flight.
Following the revelation of Zambada's arrest, U.S. authorities announced charges against him for his involvement in drug trafficking and other related crimes.
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