In a significant blow to one of the world’s most notorious criminal organizations, U.S. authorities arrested two high-profile leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel in El Paso on Thursday.
The Department of Justice announced the apprehension of cartel co-founder Ismael Mario Zambada-Garcia, commonly known as “El Mayo,” and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, one of the sons of the notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed the arrests, noting that both men are among Mexico’s most influential drug traffickers.
The men face charges related to their alleged involvement in leading the cartel’s operations, particularly its fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking.
El Mayo purportedly believed he was en route to check on a secret airfield in Mexico. However, as revealed by a U.S. Homeland Security Investigations official, a high-ranking cartel associate deceived him, transporting him to El Paso instead, reported ABC News.
Zambada-Garcia, a former associate of El Chapo that some also consider to be a co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, has been under indictment in the United States for narcotics-related offenses for over 20 years. The Drug Enforcement Administration had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his capture in 2021. The State Department has also linked Zambada-Garcia to an extensive real estate portfolio, including ownership of a milk company, bus line, and hotel.
The arrests come amidst a critical period in the United States’ fight against drugs, as fentanyl continues to ravage communities across the nation. According to recent CDC data, fentanyl was associated with 74,702 of the estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023, making it the leading cause of death for individuals aged 18 to 45 in America.
In a recent statement, Garland said, “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.”
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán, another son of El Chapo, triggered violent riots in Mexico’s northern state of Sinaloa in January of 2023.
Ovidio Guzmán was previously arrested in 2019, resulting in similar bloodshed, which eventually led to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ordering his release. This move proved to be an embarrassment for the Mexican government and a significant sign of weakness against the cartels, per ABC News.
The senior Guzmán, El Chapo, was re-arrested after he escaped from a Mexican prison, extradited to the United States in 2017, and received a life sentence in a Colorado high-security prison where he is currently.
In Dallas, there have been 6,236 drug-related offenses committed this year as of July 25, according to the City of Dallas crime analytics dashboard. This marks a 7.5% increase over the same period in 2023.