FBI confirms role in capture of Sinaloa Cartel co-founder "El Mayo" Zambada

The capture of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, a co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, has resurfaced in public discussion following the release of photos showing the aircraft used to transport him from Mexico to the United States in July 2024. The FBI has acknowledged its involvement in the operation.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum presented an report on the case during a press conference on July 7. Zambada was arrested in El Paso, Texas, by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the FBI. He was on a flight with Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, when apprehended.

According to a letter from Zambada, he claims Guzmán López betrayed him. Zambada stated Guzmán López had summoned him for a meeting outside Culiacán to inspect border properties, only to be captured. Former U.S. President Joe Biden celebrated the arrest. Zambada pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy, firearms possession, and drug trafficking.

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The government of Mexico did not participate in this arrest or delivery. We will continue to collaborate with the government of the United States.

In September 2024, Zambada was transferred to New York, where his case was assigned to Judge Brian M. Cogan. Earlier, in July, Mexico's then-Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, stated that the U.S. Embassy in Mexico contacted the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection after Zambada's capture. Rodríguez clarified that the Mexican government did not participate in the arrest or extradition, but would continue collaborating with the U.S.

Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador considered the operation an important step in combating drug trafficking, despite the absence of Mexico's National Defense Secretariat or Navy in the arrest.

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it is an important advance in the fight against drug trafficking