One of the world's most powerful drug lords, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, was arrested by US federal agents in El Paso, Texas. Zambada is the leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, a criminal organisation he co-founded with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who is currently in a US prison.
Zambada was arrested on Thursday along with Joaquin Guzman Lopez, El Chapo's son, according to the US Justice Department. Earlier this year, Zambada was charged with conspiring to produce and distribute fentanyl.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland described Zambada and Guzman Lopez as leaders of "one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organisations in the world." The US 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 had bribed the entire Mexican government to live openly without fear of arrest. They argued that Zambada, not El Chapo, was the true leader of the Sinaloa cartel.
In addition to his drug activities, Zambada owns several legitimate businesses in Mexico, including a milk company, a bus line, a hotel, and various real estate assets, according to the US State Department. He faces numerous charges in the US, including drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, money laundering, and organised crime.
Zambada's arrest is a significant event, as he had evaded authorities for decades. He is considered the biggest and most influential drug lord in the world. His arrest has shocked many in Mexico.
Zambada's leadership of the Sinaloa cartel began after the collapse of the Guadalajara cartel in the late 1980s. While El Chapo was the public face of the cartel, many believed that El Mayo was its true leader. He created early connections with Colombian cartels to supply the US with cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.
