El Chapo's Son Lures Cartel Boss into U.S. Trap, Both Arrested

El Chapo’s Son Lures Cartel Boss into U.S. Plane Trap

Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, a 76-year-old co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, was recently lured into boarding a private plane bound for the U.S. by Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of the notorious drug kingpin Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán. This maneuver followed an extensive operation by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, who had been tracking Zambada for months.

Zambada, who believed the plane would fly to southern Mexico, was surprised when it landed in El Paso, Texas. Both he and Guzmán López were arrested upon disembarking. According to a Fox News correspondent, Guzmán López surrendered to U.S. authorities and implicated Zambada, motivated by his belief that Zambada was responsible for his father's capture.

Guzmán López, elevated to a top leadership role in the cartel in 2017 following his father’s extradition to the U.S., struck a deal with American law enforcement to surrender himself and deliver Zambada simultaneously. The reasons behind Guzmán López's decision to turn himself in and betray Zambada remain unclear.

Zambada, who had lived a relatively low-profile life at his El Alamo compound and was suffering from diabetes, had been in discussions with American law enforcement about surrendering for at least three years but had never followed through. In a rare 2010 interview, Zambada had stated, "I'd like to think so, that I'd kill myself" if faced with capture.

Lopez is expected to appear before the Federal District Court in Chicago soon, while Zambada will be tried in New York. Attorney General Merrick Garland described the Sinaloa Cartel as one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations globally, emphasizing that “El Mayo and Guzmán López join a growing list of Sinaloa Cartel leaders and associates whom the Justice Department is holding accountable in the U.S.”

Garland highlighted that among those already in custody are El Chapo and another of his sons, Ovidio Guzmán López, as well as the cartel’s alleged main hitman, Néstor Isidro 'El Nini' Pérez Salas. In February, U.S. federal prosecutors charged Zambada with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl, but he had remained at large until his recent arrest. The U.S. State Department had previously issued a $15 million reward for information leading to Zambada's arrest or conviction and a $5 million reward for López.

Ovidio Guzmán López was arrested in Mexico and extradited to the U.S. in September to face numerous charges. Following El Chapo's extradition, his criminal empire was divided among his four sons, collectively known as Los Chapitos, who continued his legacy of trafficking, particularly fentanyl.

The relationship between El Mayo and Los Chapitos had been fraught with tension since El Chapo's extradition, and the recent arrests may lead to further instability or violence in Mexico. Garland noted that fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45, and the Department of Justice remains committed to holding accountable every leader and associate of the cartels involved in poisoning American communities. Zambada, alongside El Chapo, played a pivotal role in constructing a drug trafficking network with a reach extending from the U.S. and Colombia to as far as New Zealand and Russia, dealing in cocaine, heroin, and other narcotics while engaging in human trafficking.