Two Leaders of the Largest Drug Cartel in Mexico Arrested in the U.S.

U.S. federal agents arrested Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, the head of the Sinaloa cartel in El Paso, Texas, which is one of the largest drug trafficking organizations in the world. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of El Chapo Guzmán, who is currently imprisoned in the U.S., was also arrested in the police operation. Zambada, 76, founded the Sinaloa cartel years ago in collaboration with El Chapo Guzmán. He had been wanted by the U.S. government for years, with several indictments against him in U.S. courts dating back two decades. This arrest is considered a major victory for U.S. security and intelligence agencies that have been pursuing the leaders of the Sinaloa cartel for years. El Mayo Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López are among the most powerful drug traffickers in Mexico, managing a vast transnational cocaine and fentanyl trade that supplies drugs to the U.S., Europe, and other parts of the world. Armed conflicts in Mexico to capture El Chapo's son have left at least 29 dead. The Sinaloa cartel is one of the two major organized crime groups in Mexico and one of the most complex criminal enterprises in the world. Merrick Garland, the U.S. Attorney General, described the two arrested criminals as individuals who "led one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world." According to Garland, "El Mayo and Guzmán López are added to the growing list of Sinaloa cartel leaders and their associates that the U.S. Department of Justice is working to capture." The Attorney General labeled fentanyl as "the deadliest drug threat" the U.S. has ever faced. Garland added, "The Department of Justice will not rest until each and every leader, member, and associate of the cartel responsible for poisoning our neighborhoods is held accountable." U.S. prosecutors have repeatedly stated that the Sinaloa cartel is the largest drug supplier in America. Previously, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had set a $15 million reward for Zambada's capture. An aircraft believed to be carrying the arrested traffickers was involved in the operation.