Two Leaders of Sinaloa Cartel Arrested in Texas
On Thursday, the US Justice Department announced the arrest of Ismael Zambada Garcia, known as ‘El Mayo,’ and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of the cartel’s co-founder, in El Paso, Texas. Zambada, a key figure in the drug trafficking organization, has been a leader of the Sinaloa cartel since the 1970s.
The Violent History of the Sinaloa Cartel
The Sinaloa cartel, infamous for its violent tactics, is responsible for numerous deaths mainly linked to the trafficking of drugs like fentanyl into the US. The Mexican government’s campaign against drug gangs has resulted in over 450,000 fatalities since 2006. In the US, drug overdoses, primarily from fentanyl, claimed over 107,000 lives in 2023.
Continued Fight Against Cartels
US Attorney General Merrick Garland vows to hold accountable those responsible for drug-related deaths, stating, “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced.” Zambada’s arrest comes as another blow to the Sinaloa cartel, following the conviction of ‘El Chapo’ in 2019.
Authorities have been pursuing Zambada for decades, with a $15 million reward offered for his capture.