Mayo Zambada travels to the US: How was the drug lord deceived?

‘El Mayo’ Zambada captured.
Betrayal within the Sinaloa Cartel.
Fentanyl trafficking charges.

Last Thursday, July 25, U.S. authorities announced the capture of well-known Mexican drug trafficker Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada.

According to official information, Zambada was arrested in Texas just after getting off a plane, accompanied by Joaquín Guzmán López, alias ‘El Güero’, son of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán.

Both face serious charges related to the management of manufacturing and trafficking networks for fentanyl, a highly addictive synthetic drug.

The operation that led to Zambada’s capture was confirmed by Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General of the United States Department of Justice. He highlighted the cooperation between international agencies to achieve this important arrest.

Mayo Zambada was tricked into traveling to the US

‘El Mayo’ was ambushed and kidnapped by the son of «El Chapo,» his lawyer claims https://t.co/6Z8tbWNiRY through @ZetaTijuana pic.twitter.com/ZO6QPzFOdG

— ZETA Tijuana (@ZETATijuana) July 28, 2024

The United States had offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Zambada’s capture, reflecting the strategic importance of this arrest in the fight against international drug trafficking.

According to reports in some media outlets, the capture of the famous drug lord Zambada may have involved an act of treason.

American police sources claim that Joaquín Guzmán López, in an unexpected move, would have deceived ‘El Mayo’ Zambada regarding the destination of his trip,

Pretending to be flying to Mexico when they were actually heading to US territory, according to El Financiero.

This alleged deception would have even been part of a strategy to favor his brother Ovidio Guzmán, who faces charges in the United States since his extradition in September 2023.

The family dynamics within the Sinaloa Cartel, historically led by figures such as ‘El Mayo’ and ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, have always been complex and marked by shifting alliances and betrayals.

In previous years, Vicente Zambada Niebla, son of ‘El Mayo’, was also extradited to the United States and collaborated as a witness in the trial against his own father and other members of the cartel.

‘El Mayo’ was considered one of the mexicans drug dealers hardest to catch. The criminal had been negotiating with the US authorities for three years to surrender and as of July 2024, they had not reached an agreement.