In a significant blow to one of the world’s most reputed drug trafficking organizations, U.S. authorities apprehended two high-profile leaders of the Sinaloa cartel on Tuesday in El Paso.
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, co-founder of the cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of the infamous Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, were arrested, said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
“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 in a statement. “Ismael Zambada Garcia, or ‘El Mayo,’ co-founder of the cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of its other co-founder, were arrested today in El Paso, Texas.”
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the two were being held in El Paso or were taken elsewhere in the country. Officials didn’t provide details of the arrests in El Paso.
The Justice Department announcement said both men face numerous charges related to their leadership roles within the cartel, particularly concerning the manufacturing and trafficking of fentanyl.
“The Sinaloa Cartel pioneered the manufacture of fentanyl and has for years trafficked it into our country, killing hundreds of thousands of Americans and devastating countless communities,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.
The arrest of Zambada Garcia and Guzman Lopez adds to a growing list of high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel members captured and prosecuted in the United States. This includes the cartel’s other co-founder, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is currently serving a life sentence in a U.S. federal prison; El Chapo’s other son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez; and the cartel’s alleged lead hitman, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, known as “El Nini.”
Zambada Garcia, 76, has been a central figure in international drug trafficking for decades. Despite his longstanding involvement, he has managed to evade imprisonment. Zambada Garcia has been indicted multiple times for major narcotics violations across various U.S. jurisdictions.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 35, and his brother Ovidio inherited their father’s drug trafficking empire and continued to expand their operations. They have been heavily involved in the production and distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, U.S. officials said. Guzman Lopez has also been linked to violent crimes, including ordering the murders of informants and rivals.
The Sinaloa cartel has been a major player in the trafficking of fentanyl into the United States, contributing to the ongoing opioid crisis.
“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable,” Garland said in a written statement.
Law enforcement authorities had offered substantial rewards for information leading to these arrests, including up to $15 million for Zambada Garcia and up to $5 million for Guzman Lopez.
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