The Guzman family's lawyer, Jose Luis Gonzalez, denied on Wednesday that the son of jailed Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, kidnapped drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, amid allegations that Guzman's son had turned Zambada over to the United States. Guzman Lopez and Zambada, a significant figure in Mexican drug trafficking history, were apprehended by U.S. agents last week following the landing of their plane at a New Mexico airfield. The arrests were conducted without the Mexican government's awareness, sparking widespread conjecture about whether the arrests were voluntary or orchestrated by Guzman Lopez.
"A kidnapping is out of the question," Gonzalez stated on Radio Formula. "No, no. Los Chapitos adhere to their father's principles and they followed the customary policy," he added, addressing the question of whether Guzman Lopez might have betrayed the 76-year-old Zambada, who co-established the Sinaloa Cartel with his father. Known as "Los Chapitos," El Chapo's four sons inherited their father's segment of the cartel. Reuters attempted to contact Gonzalez for further comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Gonzalez's account stands in contrast to Zambada's lawyer, Frank Perez, who claimed on Saturday that Guzman Lopez "kidnapped" his client. Perez alleged that Guzman Lopez, along with six men in military attire, intercepted Zambada near the Sinaloa state capital of Culiacan and coerced him onto a plane bound for the U.S. against his will. Both Guzman Lopez and Zambada have entered not guilty pleas to drug trafficking charges in U.S. courts. The Guzman family lawyer maintained that the men's surrender was voluntary and resulted from approximately four years of negotiations with U.S. authorities.
