US authorities have made a significant arrest in the fight against the Sinaloa drug cartel, capturing two prominent figures – Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of incarcerated drug lord ‘El Chapo’. The duo were apprehended in the El Paso area of Texas on Thursday, following a dramatic sting operation where they were reportedly lured across the border under false pretenses.
A Mexican federal official revealed that Zambada and Guzman Lopez had arrived in the United States on a private plane and voluntarily surrendered to authorities. The FBI Director, Christopher Wray, confirmed that both individuals had been instrumental in the trafficking of “tens of thousands of pounds of drugs into the United States, along with related violence”.
El Mayo, a seasoned figure and co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, was considered the cartel’s strategic mastermind and remained deeply involved in its day-to-day operations. His arrest, after decades of evading US authorities, marks a major setback for the cartel.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of El Chapo, known as Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, is also a prominent figure within the cartel’s hierarchy. This capture follows the extradition of another son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, to the US last year to face narcotics charges.
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the severity of the fentanyl crisis, stating, “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable.”
The arrests are a testament to the ongoing efforts to dismantle the Sinaloa cartel, which has been weakened following the incarceration of its former leader, El Chapo, in 2019. With the capture of these key figures, the cartel’s operations and leadership are facing a major blow.