Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s son, who is a well-known figure in Mexico’s drug trade, were taken into custody on Thursday in El Paso, Texas.
According to Reuters, the arrests were a significant victory for US officials and could change the criminal environment in Mexico.
Zambada, a significant figure in Mexico’s drug trade history and El Chapo’s co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, was captured with Joaquin Guzman Lopez, El Chapo’s son.
Both people are accused of bringing large amounts of drugs, including fentanyl, which has soared to become the most common cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45, onto US streets. They are facing numerous counts in the US.In a maximum security facility, El Chapo is incarcerated for life after being extradited to the United States in 2017.
Two US officials told Reuters that Zambada, who is thought to be in his 70s, and Guzman Lopez, who is in his 30s, were taken into custody following their arrival in the El Paso region aboard a private aircraft.
Guzman Lopez is one of El Chapo’s four sons, also referred to as Los Chapitos, or Little Chapos, who inherited the Sinaloa Cartel branch that their father had founded. Ovidio Guzman, his brother, was detained and extradited to the United States last year.
US authorities have accused the Sinaloa Cartel of being the largest supplier of fentanyl to the US, making it their top target in recent years.
