Major operation by the U.S.: Drug lord El Mayo and El Chapo’s son captured

Mexican drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and the son of his former partner Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman were arrested by U.S. authorities on Thursday in El Paso, Texas. Zambada, one of the most influential traffickers in Mexico's history, co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel with El Chapo. El Chapo was extradited to the U.S. in 2017 and is serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison.

Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez face charges of trafficking large quantities of drugs, especially fentanyl, which has become a leading cause of death among Americans aged 18-45. The 70-something Zambada and the 30-something Guzman Lopez were arrested after arriving in the El Paso area on a private plane.

SINALOA CARTEL

Guzman Lopez, one of El Chapo's four sons, inherited his father’s faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. His brother, Ovidio Guzman, was arrested last year and extradited to the U.S. The Sinaloa Cartel has become the primary target of U.S. authorities in recent years, accused of being the largest supplier of fentanyl to the U.S.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that Zambada and Guzman Lopez are charged with leading the cartel’s deadly fentanyl production and trafficking networks.

A worker at Santa Teresa airport reported seeing a Beechcraft King Air land on Thursday, with federal agents waiting on the tarmac. The worker, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, said, "Two individuals disembarked the plane and were calmly taken into custody."

The U.S. authorities had placed a $15 million reward for Zambada's capture and a $5 million reward for Guzman Lopez. According to U.S. authorities, the Sinaloa Cartel is known for smuggling drugs into more than 50 countries worldwide and is one of Mexico’s two most powerful organized crime groups.

INTERNAL CONFLICTS POSSIBLE

Zambada and El Chapo's sons represent different generations of traffickers with distinct operational styles. Zambada is known as an "old school" narcotics trafficker who avoids the limelight, while El Chapo's sons are notorious for their flamboyant behavior and violent tendencies.

The relationship between Zambada and El Chapo's sons has been tense since El Chapo's extradition in 2017. The arrests of Zambada and Guzman Lopez could lead to instability or even violence in the northern part of Sinaloa. In the past, the arrests of major cartel leaders have created power vacuums, leading to significant internal conflicts within organizations and among rivals.

Vanda Felbab-Brown, a researcher at the Brookings Institution who closely monitors Mexico's security, stated, "This possibility is certainly very high."

U.S. FIGHT AGAINST FENTANYL

In the past year, U.S. authorities have prepared new indictments against Zambada and Guzman's sons, including charges related to fentanyl trafficking and the supply of chemicals to illicit labs operated by criminal organizations. For decades, the cartel has established sophisticated supply chains to transport drugs worldwide and procure tightly regulated chemicals for their bases in Sinaloa.

Early on Thursday, Reuters published an investigation revealing how incredibly easy and cheap it is to purchase fentanyl precursor chemicals online from Chinese sellers, with door-to-door delivery to addresses in North America.

Attorney General Garland stated, "Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing our country, and the Justice Department will not rest until every cartel leader, member, and collaborator responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable."