In a stunning turn of events, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the 76-year-old leader of Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa cartel, was apprehended by US authorities in El Paso, Texas, marking a significant triumph in the war on drugs.
Zambada, who co-founded the cartel with the infamous Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, now serving a life sentence in a US prison, had evaded capture for decades.
According to sources, Zambada’s arrest was the result of an elaborate operation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations.
He was lured onto a private plane by Joaquin Guzman Lopez, Guzman’s son, under false pretenses, believing he was headed to inspect a clandestine airfield in southern Mexico.
Instead, the aircraft flew north and landed in El Paso, where Zambada was taken into custody.
Guzman Lopez, who was also arrested, surrendered to US authorities and implicated Zambada in the capture of his father, El Chapo.
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This unexpected turn of events has sent shockwaves through the criminal underworld, as Zambada’s influence and leadership have remained steadfast despite relentless anti-drug campaigns and opposition from rival cartels.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had offered a $15 million bounty for Zambada’s capture, underscoring his significance as a major player in the global drug trade.
His arrest is a major blow to the Sinaloa cartel, which has been identified as the largest supplier of drugs to the US, with fentanyl being the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 45.
As Zambada faces charges of conspiring to produce and distribute fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid linked to the US opioid crisis, his arrest marks a significant milestone in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking and organized crime.
