$15 Million Bounty Drug Cartel Boss Nabbed in Texas

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a notorious leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, has been arrested by U.S. authorities in El Paso, Texas, the U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday.

Zambada, who ran the cartel’s substantial smuggling operations for decades alongside Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, maintained a lower profile compared to his infamous partner.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed the arrests in a statement, asserting that the Justice Department has successfully detained “two additional alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world.” Both Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, another figure tied to the cartel, were apprehended on Thursday.

Garland also detailed that Zambada and Guzmán López face multiple charges related to the cartel’s criminal enterprises, including the manufacture and distribution of deadly fentanyl. “The Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable,” Garland declared.

Zambada’s long tenure made him one of the Sinaloa cartel’s most enduring leaders, rivaled in notoriety by El Chapo. Zambada’s keen strategy and significant ties to Colombian cocaine suppliers fortified his powerful position within the cartel.

By the early 1990s, Zambada had evolved from his early years as an enforcer to become a significant player in the Juarez cartel, controlling the trafficking of vast amounts of cocaine and marijuana. His close alliances within the cartel world shielded him from many conflicts, allowing him to rise without inciting major turf wars.

Prosecutors had been after Zambada for years. In February, he was charged in the Eastern District of New York for conspiring to manufacture and distribute fentanyl. The DEA had also placed a $15 million bounty for any information leading to his capture.

In 2010, Zambada revealed in an interview with the Mexican magazine Proceso his fear of arrest, citing that he would rather commit suicide than face imprisonment.

Zambada’s network extended beyond drug trafficking; he was known to garner loyalty in his home regions of Sinaloa and Durango through charitable acts, sponsoring local farmers, and distributing resources in his birthplace, El Alamo.

His legacy within the cartel world is marked by a blend of ruthlessness and strategic acumen. While many younger kingpins embraced flashy lifestyles and brutal tactics, Zambada remained focused on the business aspects, avoiding excessive violence that could draw unwanted attention.

AP writer Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report.