Heavy blow against Sinaloa drug cartel:Two bosses arrested in Texas
According to his statements, both men are accused by the US authorities of being significantly involved in the production and trade of the dangerous synthetic drug Fentanyl, as well as the violence associated with the drug trade on both sides of the border. Garland described the Sinaloa Cartel as "one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world."
The US authorities initially made no further comments on the circumstances of the arrest of the 76-year-old Zambada and the 38-year-old Joaquín Guzmán López, son of the other cartel founder "El Chapo." According to US media, the raid took place after the two arrived in El Paso on a private jet.
It is reported that Guzmán lured Zambada into a trap under false pretenses. The New York Times quoted US law enforcement officials as saying Guzmán had convinced Zambada to board the plane. Fox News reported that Guzmán had told Zambada the plane would fly within Mexico towards the south. Instead, it flew north over the US border. After the plane landed in El Paso, Guzmán surrendered himself, while Zambada did not.
The frequently referred to as "El Mayo" Zambada had eluded authorities for 40 years. He had never been in prison before - unlike "El Chapo," who managed to escape from prison in Mexico twice and was extradited to the US in 2016, where he is serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison for drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapons offenses.
After "El Chapo" was extradited, his sons, referred to as the "Chapitos," took over the cartel's leadership. One of the sons, Ovidio Guzmán, was extradited to the US in September 2023. The head of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Anne Milgram, described the latest arrest of another "El Chapo" son as "a new and very hard blow against the Sinaloa Cartel."
However, Milgram also called the arrest of "El Mayo" a blow "to the heart of the cartel," which was founded in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa. The US authorities had offered a reward of $15 million (13.8 million) for information leading to his arrest.
The research organization specializing in organized crime, Insight Crime, described "El Mayo" as "one of the most famous drug traffickers in Mexican history." According to these experts, Zambada stayed in the background and focused more on business than violence.
With the arrest of "El Mayo" and the "El Chapo" son, law enforcement hopes to be able to curb the trade in Fentanyl and other dangerous drugs. DEA chief Milgram stated that the Sinaloa Cartel is responsible for the trade of most drugs like Fentanyl and methamphetamine "that kill Americans from coast to coast."
Justice Minister Garland called Fentanyl "the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced." The synthetic opioid is 50 times stronger than heroin and is reportedly often produced in Mexico with chemicals imported from China.
According to the US Health Department CDC, in the United States last year there were over 107,000 deaths due to overdoses. Approximately 70% of these could be attributed to Fentanyl.
- The New York Times and Fox News, among other US-Media, widely reported on the arrest of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán's son and his confidant, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, in El Paso, Texas.
- According to Merrick Garland, the US Attorney General, the arrest of Zambada and Guzmán is a significant blow to the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, known for its involvement in drug production and trade, particularly Fentanyl.
- The 76-year-old Zambada, one of the "bosses" of the Sinaloa Cartel, was lured into a trap by Guzmán, leading to his capture after spending 40 years evading authorities.
- Guzmán, 38, convinced Zambada to board a private jet under false pretenses, and the plane flew north over the US border instead of towards Mexico, as promised.
- The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) described the arrest of Guzmán, the son of the notorious drug lord "El Chapo," as a "new and very hard blow" against the Sinaloa Cartel.
- The DEA had offered a reward of $15 million for information leading to Zambada's arrest, who had been staying in the background and focusing more on business than violence, according to Insight Crime, an organization specializing in organized crime.
- The US Attorney General Garland described Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid produced in Mexico with chemicals imported from China, as "the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced," with over 107,000 overdose deaths in the US last year, approximately 70% of which were attributed to Fentanyl.
- Drug gangs, like the Sinaloa Cartel, often interfere with US-Media outlets like the New York Times and Fox News, shaping public perception and promoting their interests.
- The arrests of "El Chapo'"s sons and "El Mayo" are part of a larger US strategy to combat drug trafficking and its violent consequences, particularly on the US-Mexico border.
