Drug Kingpins Captured

US authorities have arrested 76-year-old Mexican drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and one of the sons of jailed cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. The capture came after a high-ranking cartel member tricked Zambada into flying into El Paso, Texas, unwittingly. The US had offered a reward of up to $15M for information leading to Zambada's arrest. El Chapo's son, Joaquín Guzmán López, happened to be on the same plane, and both were taken into custody.

El Mayo and El Chapo founded the Sinaloa cartel 30 years ago, which has since become one of Mexico's most powerful drug organizations and an international crime syndicate. Mexico's Sinaloa and rival Jalisco cartels are seen as the groups dominating the illicit US fentanyl market, often using homemade recipes.

The arrests represent the latest hit to the Sinaloa cartel. El Chapo has been serving a life sentence in a Colorado prison since 2019, while his other son, Ovidio Guzmán López, faces drug charges after being extradited to the US last year. See the history of Mexico's drug cartels here.