Two Prominent Mexican Cartel Leaders Turn Themselves In to U.S. Authorities
One of the world's most notorious drug lords, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, has been arrested by U.S. federal agents in El Paso, Texas. Zambada, 76, co-founded the crime syndicate with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who is currently imprisoned in the U.S. Guzman's son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, was also arrested alongside Zambada on Thursday, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
In February, Zambada was charged by U.S. prosecutors with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl, a potent drug implicated in the U.S. opioid crisis. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the significance of the arrests, stating that the two men lead "one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world." Garland underscored the Justice Department's commitment to holding every cartel leader, member, and associate accountable for their role in the fentanyl epidemic.
American prosecutors assert that the Sinaloa cartel is the primary supplier of drugs to the U.S. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had offered a reward of up to $15 million for Zambada's capture. During El Chapo's 2019 trial, his lawyers claimed that Zambada bribed the Mexican government to live openly without fear of prosecution. Zambada is also known to own several legitimate businesses in Mexico, including a large milk company, a bus line, a hotel, and various real estate assets.
In addition to fentanyl charges, Zambada faces numerous other charges in the U.S., including drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, money laundering, and organized crime. Fentanyl is cited as the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. In May, Zambada's nephew, Eliseo Imperial Castro (known as "Cheyo Antrax"), was killed in an ambush in Mexico while also wanted by U.S. authorities.
Zambada's arrest marks a significant moment in the fight against drug trafficking, as he is regarded as one of the world's most influential drug lords. Having evaded capture for decades, his arrest has shocked many in Mexico. While details of the arrests remain unclear, it appears the two men flew into the United States.
President Joe Biden's administration is likely to herald this operation as one of the DEA's most significant achievements in years. Zambada co-founded the Sinaloa cartel after the collapse of the Guadalajara cartel in the late 1980s. Despite El Chapo being the public face of the organization, many believed El Mayo was its true leader. Zambada's innovative strategies included forging early links with Colombian cartels to flood the U.S. with cocaine heroin, and later fentanyl.
His leadership of the Sinaloa cartel has withstood changing political climates in both Mexico and the U.S., as well as ongoing anti-drug offensives and rival cartel threats. Despite his extraordinary resilience, Zambada's reign appears to have ended in El Paso, Texas, a city heavily affected by the influx of fentanyl smuggled in by his organization.
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