How the operation to deceive and arrest the leader of the Sinaloa cartel took place

This lasted for about 35 years during which time he continued his operations without being captured, but eventually, Ismael Zambada García, better known as “El Mayo”, has been arrested .

The arrest was confirmed on July 25 and This happened in El Paso, Texas. UNITED STATES.

At his side was Joaquín Guzmán López one of the sons of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, that is, “El Chapo” Guzmán.

The latter and Zambada were two of the first leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel one of the most influential criminal organizations in the world.

However, unlike “El Chapo,” who was imprisoned and escaped twice, “El Mayo” has never been to prison .

To obtain his arrest, Zambada was brought to the United States as part of a covert operation in which Joaquín Guzmán López participated. .

The son of “El Chapo” made him believe that they were going to northern Mexico to check out some land, but that the private plane they were on was heading to the United States. .

So when they landed in El Paso, both were arrested .

After being captured, “El Mayo” appeared for the first time in a federal court in Texas .

In this case, the 76-year-old man pleaded not guilty to all charges of which he is accused.

For its part, Guzmán López was taken into federal custody in the Chicago area. Illinois, according to police sources cnn .

The plan to bring down “Mayo” with Guzmán López It was orchestrated for months at least from the beginning of 2024.

According to analysts explained to the aforementioned media, there has been some time a power struggle between Zambada and the children of “Chapo” known as “Chapitos”.

The four men face charges in the United States .

Ovidio Guzmán López was arrested in Mexico and extradited to Chicago in September 2023, he is therefore behind bars awaiting trial.

On the other hand, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar they remain fugitives .

Information retrieved by the New York Times Police officers detail that Joaquín Guzmán López’s goal was to help his brother Ovidio He therefore began negotiations with the American authorities.

A source close to the case assured CNN that, despite the characteristics of the operation, The arrests of “El Mayo” and Guzmán López could go ahead without problems .

“Mayo” Zambada’s lawyer, Frank Pérez, confirmed that his client “he did not surrender voluntarily”, but “he was brought against his will” Their statements were collected by Los Angeles Times .

It should not be forgotten that the Sinaloa Cartel is one of the most dangerous organized criminal groups. Among the illicit drugs they traffic, there are: substances such as fentanyl and cocaine .

Following the successful police operation, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that “Fentanyl is the deadliest threat our country has ever faced.” .

“The Ministry of Justice will not rest until every leader, member and associate of the cartel responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable. ” he stressed.

Currently, Fentanyl is the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 45 according to the figures recovered by the BBC .

In the same way, it was a strong source of income for the criminal organization .

Several specialists assume that There could be an escalation of violence after Zambada’s arrest .

International Crisis Group senior analyst Falko Ernst told the New York newspaper that by referring to the Sinaloa cartel, “We are not talking about a structure that depends on a few bosses. “It’s very diffuse and resistant to that kind of impact.”

In fact, he stated that ‘Mayo’s’ arrest could spark internal conflicts over control of the criminal organization.

“We are facing a scenario of potentially greater violence” the specialist stressed.

Mike Vigil, former agent of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) believes that on this occasion its members could avoid an explosion of violence like that of the “Culiacanazo” .

With the latter, he refers to the moment when, in October 2019, The cartel has launched a series of clashes and blockades in Culiacán (Sinaloa state), after the capture of Ovidio Guzmán López. .

Eventually, The authorities have returned the boss to end the violence.

Four years later he was arrested again. to be extradited to the United States, where he is behind bars awaiting trial.

“The Sinaloa Cartel has a very strong pipeline of possible leaders who could take control, including El Chapo’s brother” Vigil told the BBC.

In this sense, he suggested that The “capo strategy” – eliminating cartel leaders – has proven ineffective for these groups. .

“Under the government of (Felipe) Calderón (President of Mexico from 2006 to 2012), This only fueled internal conflicts within the cartels which then led to bloodshed. “.

According to his analysis, if this happened now after the arrest of “Mayo” Zambada, “The only winner would be its rival, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).”

Despite everything, the Mexican authorities have sent additional agents to the state of Sinaloa, in order to face possible scenarios of violence that could arise .