EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Mexican drug kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the co-founder of the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel, and the reported son of incarcerated drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman were arrested on Thursday, July 25, in El Paso and are in U.S. custody, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney General’s Office.
Multiple sources have told KTSM that the arrests were made at the Santa Teresa International Jetport. Law enforcement could be seen Thursday at the airport, which is next to the War Eagles Air Museum in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.
Also arrested was Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of “El Chapo” Guzman and an alleged member of the Sinaloa cartel’s Chapitos faction that is led by “El Chapo’s” sons, according to the Justice Department.
Since “El Chapo” was sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. in 2019, Los Chapitos have been at odds with Zambada’s faction.
The New York Times is reporting that the pair surrendered to authorities.
Zambada appeared for an initial court appearance at the El Paso Magistrate Courtroom Friday morning, July 26, according to court records. Guzman arrived in the custody of the FBI HSI and DEA agents in the Chicago area Friday morning, according to an NBC affiliate.
A Mexican federal official told The Associated Press that Zambada and Guzmán López arrived in the United States on a private plane and turned themselves in to authorities. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized discuss the matter.
Zambada founded the Sinaloa Cartel along with now-jailed “El Chapo” Guzman, and he faces a litany of indictments for crimes relating to drug trafficking and organized crime in the United States.
U.S. federal prosecutors in February charged Zambada with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl, which U.S. officials say is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.
Zambada, one of the longest-surviving capos in Mexico, was considered the strategist of the Sinaloa cartel, more involved in day-to-day operations than his flashier and better-known boss, “El Chapo,” according to the Associated Press.
“Zambada was an old-fashioned capo in an era of younger kingpins known for their flamboyant lifestyles of club-hopping and brutal tactics of beheading, dismembering and even skinning their rivals. While Zambada fought those who challenged him, he was known for concentrating on the business side of trafficking and avoiding gruesome cartel violence that would draw attention,” the Associated Press reported.
The U.S. Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the arrests of Zambada Guzman Lopez:
“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. Ismael Zambada Garcia, or ‘El Mayo,’ cofounder of the Cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of its other cofounder, were arrested today in El Paso, Texas.
“Both men are facing multiple charges in the United States for leading the Cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks.
“El Mayo and Guzman Lopez join a growing list of Sinaloa Cartel leaders and associates who the Justice Department is holding accountable in the United States. That includes the Cartel’s other cofounder, Joaquin Guzman Loera, or ‘El Chapo’; another of El Chapo’s sons and an alleged Cartel leader, Ovidio Guzman Lopez; and the Cartel’s alleged lead sicario, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, or ‘El Nini.’
“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.”
Anne Milgram, administrator for the Drug Enforcement Administration, issued the following statement on the arrests:
“The arrest of Ismael Zambada García, better known as ‘El Mayo,’ one of the alleged founders and leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, strikes at the heart of the cartel that is responsible for the majority of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, killing Americans from coast to coast. El Mayo is one of DEA’s most wanted fugitives and he is in custody tonight and will soon face justice in a U.S. court of law. Joaquin Guzman Lopez, another alleged leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, and the son of ‘El Chapo,’ was also arrested today – his arrest is another enormous blow to the Sinaloa Cartel.
“In 2017, he and his brothers, the Chapitos, allegedly took control of the Sinaloa Cartel after El Chapo was extradited to the United States. DEA will continue to seek justice for any American life that is lost and will work tirelessly to prevent more needless deaths and pursue those that are responsible.”
Homeland Security Investigations also sent KTSM a statement on the arrests:
“These arrests are a culmination of a joint Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and FBI investigation targeting the Sinaloa Cartel. In December of 2022, HSI and the FBI secured indictments against several members of Sinaloa Cartel to include Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of ‘El Chapo’ Guzman. Ismael Zambada-Gacia was the partner and co-head of the Sinaloa Cartel with ‘El Chapo’ and a close confidant of his sons. Zambada-Garcia has multiple pending indictments in the United States.
“The collaborative effort of today’s actions with our law enforcement partnerships are yet another example of HSI’s commitment to combat the illicit movement of deadly drugs like fentanyl into the United States.
“HSI thanks all law enforcement agencies that participated in the arrest of these two individuals. These are ongoing investigations and as such limited information will be available.”
