In a historic operation, two notorious Mexican drug lords, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada and Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán López, were arrested in El Paso, Texas on July 26, 2024. The U.S. authorities had kept the operation a secret from Mexican officials until after the arrests.
According to reports, Zambada and Guzmán were traveling separately when they were apprehended by U.S. agents from the FBI, DEA, and HSI (Homeland Security Investigations). Zambada was on a plane taking off from Hermosillo airport in Sonora state when it was intercepted en route to El Paso, while Guzmán had arrived in the Chicago area earlier.
Both men are accused of leading the Sinaloa cartel, which is responsible for flooding the United States with fentanyl. They face multiple charges including fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks. The U.S. Embassy did not notify Mexican authorities about the operation until after Zambada and Guzmán were in custody.
The U.S. has been wary of sharing information with Mexican officials due to leaks from their counterparts in recent years, which have foiled anti-drug operations.
Investigations are ongoing to determine if Guzmán tricked Zambada into boarding a plane to the U.S., leading him into custody.
Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada entered a not-guilty plea at his first federal court appearance in El Paso on July 27, 2024, and is being held without bond on seven federal criminal counts.
