El Chapo’s son tricked alleged cartel boss into flying to US before their arrests, says reports
An alleged Mexican drug cartel leader arrested in Texas was deceived into flying to the US, officials have revealed.
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada was detained on Thursday alongside Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
The pair were arrested in El Paso, Texas, and are alleged to have been leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, described by the US Justice Department as “one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world”.
An anonymous official informed the Associated Press that Zambada boarded the plane to the US under false pretenses, believing he was headed elsewhere – without disclosing who convinced him or where he thought he was going.
A plane believed to have carried Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Pic: Reuters
However, Reuters news agency reported that three current and former officials familiar with the operation claimed that it was Guzman Lopez who enticed Zambada to America.
US authorities have been targeting drug bosses, often reaching plea bargain agreements with them in exchange for information leading to the apprehension of other high-ranking cartel members.
Reuters stated it could not confirm an immediate plea bargain deal, but if Zambada was betrayed by Guzman Lopez, it could have significant repercussions for the Sinaloa cartel and violence in Mexico.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez. Pic: US State Department
Frank Perez, a lawyer representing Zambada, previously informed The Los Angeles Times that the suspect was brought to Texas “against his will.”
“I have no comment except to state that he did not surrender voluntarily,” he added.
Newspapers in Mexico report on the arrests. Pic: Reuters
A violent inter-cartel war broke out in 2008 after another senior Sinaloa leader was apprehended.
His family members accused El Chapo of colluding with Mexican authorities to orchestrate the arrest, sparking conflict between two influential factions of the criminal group.
El Chapo pictured in New York in January 2017 shortly after his extradition to the US. Pic: Drug Enforcement Administration/Reuters
Guzman Lopez, in his 30s, is one of four sons of El Chapo. His brother Ovidio Guzman Lopez was arrested last year and extradited to the US.
Rumors on social media suggested Ovidio Guzman had been released, but US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, confirmed he “remains in custody in the United States.”
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Zambada, believed to be in his 70s, appeared in federal court in El Paso on Friday morning and pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, as per court records.
The justice department had previously stated that the charges relate to “heading the Cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks”.
A new indictment was brought against him in New York in February, describing him as the “principal leader of the criminal enterprise responsible for importing enormous quantities of narcotics into the United States”.
El Chapo was sentenced to life imprisonment in a US facility in 2019 for orchestrating a sprawling drug conspiracy linked to murder and chaos spanning over two decades.
