In a significant blow to the Sinaloa cartel, Mexican cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada was taken into custody in Texas, accused of masterminding a vast fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking operation, according to the Department of Justice.
The arrest of El Mayo, a notorious figure in the world of organized crime, marks a major victory for law enforcement in their efforts to combat the fentanyl epidemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the United States over the past five years.
El Mayo’s alleged role as the ringleader of a powerful drug trafficking ring has made him a prime target for authorities, who have been working to dismantle the Sinaloa cartel’s operations. The cartel’s influence has been felt across the United States, with fentanyl trafficking surging in 2016 and continuing to pose a deadly threat to communities nationwide.
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the arrest of El Mayo and fellow cartel leader Joaquin Guzman Lopez in a statement on Thursday, highlighting the Justice Department’s commitment to taking down the Sinaloa cartel. “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,” Garland said.
According to sources, El Mayo’s capture was made possible by a clever ruse orchestrated by Lopez, who convinced the cartel leader to board a private plane under false pretenses. Instead of heading south into Mexico, the plane flew north into El Paso, where agents were waiting to apprehend the two leaders.
Lopez’s motives for turning on El Mayo are reportedly rooted in a personal vendetta, stemming from the 2016 capture of his father, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. The Sinaloa cartel has long been a dominant force in Mexico’s underworld, and El Mayo’s capture is seen as a significant setback for the organization.
The arrest comes on the heels of a major crackdown on the Sinaloa cartel by the Drug Enforcement Administration earlier this year. In April, the DEA arrested 15 gang members and seized a massive haul of fentanyl, enough to manufacture 10 million fatal doses.
