Mexican Drug Lord Reveals Details of His Abduction to the U.S.
Ismael Zambada, the notorious leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, has unveiled shocking details about the circumstances leading to his capture and subsequent transfer to the United States.
“I was ambushed,” Zambada declared in a statement released today by his private attorney, aiming to “clarify rumors and dispel misinformation.”
On July 25th, the FBI, in collaboration with U.S. Homeland Security, apprehended 76-year-old Zambada along with Joaquin Guzman Lopez, aged over 30, in El Paso, Texas. The Mexican government has stated that they were not informed about the secretive U.S. operation.
In his statement, Zambada explained that Guzman Lopez invited him to a meeting at a ranch near Culiacan, Mexico, on July 25th. “I met several people before seeing Guzman Lopez, whom I’ve known since he was a boy, and he signaled for me to follow him,” the statement reads.
Trusting those present, Zambada followed Guzman Lopez without hesitation. “I was led to a dark room. The moment I stepped in, a group of people attacked me, knocking me down and placing a dark cloth over my head. They tied and handcuffed me before throwing me into the back of a pickup truck,” Zambada recounted.
He sustained significant injuries to his back, knees, and wrists during the ordeal. The vehicle took him to a nearby airport, where he was forced onto a private jet. “Guzman Lopez removed the cloth from my head and strapped me into a seat. It was just him, the pilot, and me on the plane,” the statement continued.
The plane flew directly to El Paso, where FBI agents arrested Zambada as soon as the aircraft touched down.
U.S. and Mexican authorities have yet to comment on the revelations.
Ismael Zambada, alongside Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, father of Joaquin Guzman Lopez, co-founded the infamous Sinaloa cartel in northern Mexico. Following El Chapo’s capture, Zambada became the cartel’s leader. For decades, he has been a prime target for U.S. law enforcement, with a $15 million reward offered for information leading to his capture.
Zambada appeared in a Texas court last week in a wheelchair, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit murder. Guzman Lopez was transferred to Chicago, Illinois, where he also pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges.
The arrests of Zambada and Guzman Lopez are believed to have the potential to destabilize or even trigger violence in the cartel’s territory in Sinaloa, northern Mexico. The Sinaloa cartel is composed of factions, networks, and groups that can cooperate but also occasionally clash.
It remains unclear why Joaquin Guzman Lopez betrayed his cartel elders, but sources suggest he may have sought a more favorable deal with the U.S. and aimed to assist his brother Ovidio, who was captured and extradited to the U.S. in 2023. Since their father’s arrest, El Chapo’s sons have been vying for power against Zambada’s faction.
