Ismael Mayo Zambada Garcia, the infamous leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, has been apprehended in El Paso, Texas, after decades of evading capture and a $15 million bounty on his head. His arrest, along with the detention of Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán, was confirmed by authorities and news outlets.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the arrests mark a significant blow to one of the world’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations, the Sinaloa Cartel. El Mayo, born in Culiacán in 1948, has been the target of multiple legal cases accusing him of drug trafficking into the United States.
The intensification of efforts to combat the trafficking of fentanyl, a potent opiate responsible for a health crisis in the U.S., led to a renewed focus on dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel. Despite Mayo Zambada’s evasion of imprisonment, U.S. authorities continue to pursue justice against key cartel figures.
Zambada’s remarkable life on the run, including a clandestine meeting with a renowned journalist, and the legal proceedings involving his son Vicente Zambada Niebla, highlight the complex dynamics of the drug trade. Stay informed with our weekly newsletter for more news coverage.