Two top leaders of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel, including its co-founder Ismael Zambada Garcia, are in custody in the US since their arrest on Thursday, July 25, according to the US Department of Justice. "Ismael Zambada Garcia, or 'El Mayo,' cofounder of the Cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of its other cofounder, were arrested today in El Paso, Texas," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement, calling the cartel "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.
The arrests are another major blow to the Sinaloa cartel, whose founder Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison in the United States. El Chapo was convicted in 2019 of running what was believed to be the world's biggest narcotics syndicate. After El Chapo's capture, several of his sons, collectively known as the "Chapitos" or "The Little Chapos," inherited control of the organization, according to the US authorities. One son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, was extradited to the United States last year to face narcotics charges.
Zambada, who co-founded the cartel, is described by the InSight Crime think tank as "one of the most storied drug traffickers in Mexican history." It said the cartel "has forged connections at the highest levels of Mexico's federal police and military, and has bribed 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 after him for decades.
"He is known primarily for maintaining a low profile and a focus 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," InSight Crime said before his detention.
The United States 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, who are among more than 450,000 people murdered since the government launched a military offensive against drug cartels in 2006.