Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the leader and co-founder of Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa cartel, was arrested in El Paso, Texas, along with Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the FBI announced on Thursday.
The arrest was made without incident by the FBI along the U.S. border, confirming the Justice Department. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, “The Justice Department has taken into custody two additional alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world.”
Zambada was indicted in February for fentanyl trafficking and is facing multiple charges in the U.S., including leading the cartel’s criminal operations. He had been a U.S. fugitive for many years, with a $5 million reward offered for his capture. The Tijuana-based Sinaloa cartel, founded by Zambada and “El Chapo,” has been one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent criminal organizations.
Last year, federal prosecutors in the U.S. unveiled charges against 28 members and associates of Sinaloa, including Guzman’s three sons, for orchestrating a transnational fentanyl trafficking operation. Attorney General Merrick Garland blamed them for contributing to the loss of American lives to fentanyl addiction.
El Mayo Zambada has finally been brought to justice after evading capture for many years, marking a significant development in the fight against drug trafficking and cartels in Mexico.