Ismael Zambada Garcia, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez were captured in El Paso
The leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful and feared drug cartels, have been captured in El Paso, Texas.
Ismael Zambada Garcia, cofounder of the cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of its other cofounder, the notorious “El Chapo,” were arrested on Thursday, according to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The two men had been sought by federal authorities for years for their role in running Sinaloa’s drug-trafficking regime, including the manufacture and sale of fentanyl.
In February, Garcia was indicted in New York on charges relating to the manufacture and distribution of fentanyl. The Department of Justice alleged that he led the Sinaloa cartel between 1989 and 2024, and that he employed a network of hitmen to intimidate and kill his rivals. He was already subject to multiple previous indictments associated with his criminal enterprise, for money laundering, murder conspiracy and various drug-related crimes.
Guzman Lopez was also subject to multiple indictments in the US, along with 32 other members of the Sinaloa cartel.
Rewards of $15 million and $10 million were offered by the State Department for information leading to the arrest of Garcia and Guzman Lopez respectively.
Guzman Lopez’s father, “El Chapo,” is currently serving a life term in the federal supermax prison near Florence, Colorado, after being convicted in 2019 on charges relating to drug, firearms, and money laundering.
“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable,” the DOJ said in response to the arrests.
