In a new twist to the unfolding saga of Mexican drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the notorious co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, he alleges that he was lured into a deadly trap orchestrated by none other than the son of his former ally, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. According to a statement released on Saturday, Zambada claims that he was deceived into boarding a plane bound for the United States last month—a betrayal that ended in his arrest.
Zambada’s account, conveyed through his lawyer, paints a harrowing picture of a carefully staged ambush. The drug lord, who has long been a shadowy figure in the brutal world of narco-trafficking, asserts that he was led into the clutches of U.S. authorities by Joaquin Guzman Lopez, who is believed to be steering a rival faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. The capture occurred just outside of El Paso, Texas, where Zambada and Guzman Lopez, bound and subdued, were transported to face American justice.
Zambada describes the chilling events leading up to his capture, beginning with a meeting arranged at a secluded ranch near Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state. He was there to meet with Guzman Lopez and high-ranking state officials, including Governor Ruben Rocha and Hector Cuen, a newly elected federal lawmaker. Trusting the familiar faces and the nature of the gathering, Zambada followed Guzman Lopez—someone he had known since childhood—into what turned out to be a trap.
Inside a darkened room, Zambada says he was brutally ambushed, knocked to the ground, tied up, and hooded by a group of men. He was then loaded into the back of a pick-up truck and driven to a nearby airstrip where a plane awaited. Once on board, Zambada was further restrained with zip ties, and the aircraft took off, carrying only him, Guzman Lopez, and the pilot on a one-way trip to the United States.
The tale, however, is far from universally accepted. The Guzman family lawyer has repeatedly denied these claims, asserting that Zambada’s flight to the U.S. was a voluntary surrender, following extended negotiations between the cartel leaders and American officials. The U.S. embassy in Mexico also corroborates this version, stating on Friday that Guzman Lopez voluntarily surrendered, though Zambada’s own words suggest a much more sinister turn of events.
The alleged betrayal didn’t come without bloodshed. In his statement, Zambada claims that Hector Cuen was killed during the abduction, and a state police officer and bodyguard who were with him have since disappeared without a trace. Sinaloa authorities had previously reported that Cuen was believed to have been killed in a carjacking at a gas station in Culiacan, a stark contrast to the drug lord’s account.
Now, both Zambada and Guzman Lopez find themselves in U.S. custody, where they have pleaded not guilty to drug-trafficking charges. As the court proceedings unfold, the true story behind this dramatic capture may finally come to light—if it ever can in the murky world of the Sinaloa Cartel.
