On Thursday, a propeller plane approached the US-Mexico border, prompting US agents to rush to a small airport near El Paso, Texas, to apprehend two men linked to Mexican drug trafficking. One of the men, the son of the imprisoned former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, intended to surrender upon landing. The other, the renowned drug trafficker Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, was reportedly tricked into boarding the plane by Guzman's son, according to four officials familiar with the incident.
Zambada's arrest came after protracted negotiations between US authorities and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, El Chapo's son. Many US officials had lost hope of Guzman Lopez surrendering, but he unexpectedly announced he would arrive with a high-profile target the US had been pursuing for 40 years. "El Mayo was the unexpected bonus," said an unnamed US official. Guzman Lopez had deceived Zambada, telling him they were flying to inspect real estate in northern Mexico, according to three US officials.
Reuters first reported the arrests before a Department of Justice announcement confirmed the detainment of the two men in El Paso. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, which conducted the operation, mobilized agents from their El Paso offices just in time for the plane's landing. A witness at the Dona Ana County International Jetport described the calm arrest of the two men.
The arrest of the elderly Zambada and his apparent betrayal by Guzman Lopez has shaken the Mexican drug trafficking community, raising fears of internal conflict within the Sinaloa Cartel. Zambada, co-founder of the cartel with El Chapo, faces serious charges in the US. His lawyer claims he was not in the US voluntarily. Guzman Lopez is scheduled to appear in court in Chicago next week.
The sons of El Chapo, collectively known as Los Chapitos, have faced intense pressure from US authorities, who view them and the Sinaloa Cartel as major fentanyl traffickers into the US. The surge in fentanyl overdoses has become the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. US President Joe Biden praised the arrests and pledged to continue fighting the fentanyl crisis.
Zambada and Guzman Lopez had been in intermittent talks with US officials about surrendering. Some traffickers see imprisonment followed by a life of wealth as a preferable alternative to the risks of continued criminal activity. The US has offered rewards for their capture, and both face multiple indictments.
