‘El Mayo’ Zambada Garcia and Joaquin Guzman Lopez face multiple charges in the U.S. for allegedly smuggling vast quantities of drugs.
Mexican drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia and Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s son have been apprehended in El Paso, Texas, marking a significant achievement for U.S. law enforcement and potentially altering the Mexican criminal landscape.
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Zambada Garcia, in his 70s, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, in his 30s, were detained after arriving on a private plane in El Paso, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to Reuters.
“The Justice Department has taken into custody two additional alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world,” the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday.
El Mayo, a prominent figure in Mexican drug trafficking history, co-founded the Sinaloa cartel with El Chapo, who was extradited to the U.S. in 2017 and is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison.
Both Zambada Garcia and Guzman Lopez face multiple charges in the U.S. for allegedly smuggling vast quantities of drugs, including fentanyl, which has become the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45.
Guzman Lopez is one of El Chapo’s four sons, collectively known as Los Chapitos, who took over their father’s faction of the Sinaloa cartel. His brother, Ovidio Guzman, was arrested last year and extradited to the U.S.
The U.S. Justice Department had offered $15 million for information leading to Zambada Garcia’s capture, with U.S. law enforcement describing him as the Sinaloa cartel’s “unquestioned senior leader” following El Chapo’s arrest.
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El Mayo and El Chapo’s sons: A Contrast in Styles
Zambada Garcia and Guzman Lopez face charges for “heading the Cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks,” according to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“We will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable,” Garland stated.
The Sinaloa cartel, which traffics drugs to over 50 countries, is one of Mexico’s most powerful organized crime groups, U.S. authorities report.
Zambada Garcia and El Chapo’s sons represent two different generations of drug traffickers, each with distinct styles. Zambada Garcia, known for his “old-school” approach, operates discreetly and avoids the spotlight. In contrast, El Chapo’s sons are known for their flashy, attention-seeking behaviors as they rose through the cartel ranks.
El Chapo’s sons are also reputed to be more violent and impulsive compared to the more strategic Zambada Garcia.
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Previous arrests of major Mexican cartel leaders have often led to violence due to power vacuums, causing significant infighting within and between criminal organizations.
Vanda Felbab-Brown, a researcher at Washington’s Brookings Institution who closely follows Mexican security issues, noted the significant potential for violence following these arrests.