Sinaloa cartel chief ‘El Mayo’ and El Chapo’s son arrested in U.S.

A Division of Homeland Safety official with data of the arrest stated Zambada was fooled into boarding a personal airplane certain for america with the previous drug lord’s son, additionally named Joaquin Guzmán. The official spoke on the situation of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the operation. The elder Guzmán and his son Ovidio are imprisoned in america.

The 2 males detained Thursday are among the many U.S. authorities’s most wished drug traffickers, and the State Division had supplied $15 million for info resulting in Zambada’s seize.

The information of Zambada’s arrest was first reported by the Reuters information company.

The elder Guzmán was arrested in 2016 and convicted of a number of drug prices in america. He’s serving a life sentence in a Colorado maximum-security jail. He and Zambada had been thought of co-founders of the Sinaloa cartel.

“That is enormous,” stated John Callery, a 30-year veteran of the Drug Enforcement Administration who retired in 2022 and pursued “El Mayo” and different Sinaloa cartel chiefs as the top of the San Diego discipline division.

Zambada, 76, was identified for maintaining a low profile and eschewing the flashy life-style of different drug lords whom he outlasted. His sons Ismael and Vicente, alongside along with his brother Jesus “El Rey” Zambada, had been detained and extradited to america on drug prices a number of years in the past. But their father was by no means detained.

“He was essentially the most cautious out of all of them,” Callery stated. “I by no means thought the outdated man would ever depart Mexico for any purpose.”

“There have been so many operations to attempt to get him up to now, and he was at all times very good, very slippery,” Callery added.

“This man was a legend,” stated John Feeley, a former U.S. ambassador with in depth expertise in Mexico. Zambada was so elusive, Feeley stated, “we might solely hear about him in whispers.”

Whereas El Chapo was the extra infamous Sinaloa co-founder, Zambada was an equal kingpin who functioned because the group’s operations chief within the cartel’s early years, Feeley stated. “He was the logistician, the man who made the trains run,” he stated.

Since El Chapo was arrested, his sons — generally known as “Los Chapitos” — have shared management of the cartel with Zambada. However considered one of them, Ovidio Guzmán, was arrested by the Mexican military in 2023 and extradited to america. The U.S. authorities has supplied a reward of as much as $10 million for info resulting in the arrest or conviction of the 2 oldest brothers, Iván and Jesús Alfredo, and a $5 million award for the youthful brother, Joaquín.

In accordance with Callery, “El Mayo” Zambada suffers from diabetes, and he has been ill, however he stays a “godfather” determine within the Mexico drug world — able to brokering offers and sustaining fragile accords between warring teams.

U.S. Legal professional Basic Merrick Garland confirmed that U.S. authorities had “taken into custody” each Zambada and the youthful Guzmán on Thursday in El Paso. They face a number of U.S. prices, together with for involvement within the cartel’s “lethal fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks,” in line with his assertion.

It didn’t present particulars of how the 2 had been detained. They weren’t arrested in Mexico, in line with a senior Mexican official, who spoke on the situation of anonymity as a result of the problem was associated to delicate legislation enforcement operations. The operation seemed to be a part of a cope with Guzmán; it was not clear what potential advantages his household would possibly obtain. The 2 males had been arrested in El Paso by the FBI, officers conversant in the operation informed The Washington Publish.

U.S. authorities have aggressively focused the Sinaloa cartel, which is “the biggest trafficker of fentanyl into america,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram stated in February.

The artificial opioid has detonated essentially the most deadly drug epidemic in U.S. historical past, inflicting tens of hundreds of American deaths up to now few years.

El Chapo’s son Joaquin had been underneath stress from his household to show himself in to U.S. authorities, in line with a former U.S. official with data of the joint investigation by the FBI, DEA and Homeland Safety Investigations brokers. He spoke on the situation of anonymity due to the delicate nature of the operation.

The detentions occurred as Republicans are sharpening their assaults on the Biden administration for the fentanyl epidemic as each events gear up for the November presidential election. Prior to now, Mexico has captured drug kingpins at key political junctures when it sought to enhance relations with Washington. It detained Ovidio Guzmán in January 2023, days earlier than President Biden paid a go to to Mexico.

But it was not clear what position, if any, the Mexican safety forces performed in Thursday’s operation.

Callery stated there was a danger that Zambada’s seize may unleash new violence. The trafficker can be ready to supply U.S. authorities with info on corrupt Mexican officers, Callery famous. “We’ll see who he’s prepared to surrender,” he stated.

The detention of the highest Sinaloa Cartel figures is unlikely to dry up the availability of fentanyl to america. Lots of those that manufacture the potent opioid are believed to be small-scale producers who equipped the cartel.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Division sanctioned two Mexican members of the Jalisco New Technology Cartel for alleged involvement within the fentanyl enterprise. The Treasury assertion famous that the group “is among the largest producers and traffickers of illicit fentanyl to america.”

Joe Evans, who ran the DEA workplace in Mexico when america labored carefully with former president Felipe Calderón to take down drug bosses, stated Zambada’s seize marked the bookend for the cartel that has lengthy been essentially the most dominant participant. “He had numerous energy,” Evans stated.

However new traffickers shortly step in, he added.

“We had been very efficient at capturing or killing these guys, however they only splinter into new teams,” Evans stated. “That’s the historical past of it. You’re taking a man out and it turns into an influence seize as a result of there’s a lot cash in it.”

Miroff reported from Washington. Lorena Rios in Monterrey, Mexico, contributed to this report.