Two top leaders of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel, including its co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia and the son of its other co-founder Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, were arrested on Thursday in Texas, the United States Department of Justice announced.
In a statement announcing their arrests, Attorney General Merrick Garland described the cartel as “one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world.” The pair face “multiple charges in the United States for leading the cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks,” Garland said.
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These arrests mark another major blow to the Sinaloa cartel, whose co-founder “El Chapo” is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison in the US.
After El Chapo’s capture, several of his sons, collectively known as the “Chapitos” or “The Little Chapos,” took control of the organization, according to US authorities. One son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, was extradited to the US last year to face narcotics charges.
Zambada, who co-founded the cartel, is “one of the most storied drug traffickers in Mexican history.” The cartel has forged connections at the highest levels of Mexico’s federal police and military, bribing members of both institutions to maintain an advantage over rival organizations.
The 76-year-old Zambada is believed to have never served time in prison, and US authorities have been pursuing him for decades. He is known for maintaining a low profile and focusing on business over violence. In addition, he is one of the few old-guard bosses who has managed to evade justice throughout his criminal career. Before his detention, the US had offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
Victims of the cartels’ ultra-violent turf wars include rival gang members, security personnel, and journalists, among more than 450,000 people murdered since the government launched a military offensive against drug cartels in 2006.
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In 2023, the US saw more than 107,000 drug overdose deaths, with fentanyl accounting for about 70% of them, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced,” Garland added in his statement. “The Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable.”