“Fentanyl may be the deadliest threat our region has ever confronted”, he stated promising which the US justice Section “will never relaxation till each cartel chief, member and associate to blame for poisoning our communities is held accountable."
Guzmán’s arrest followed a infamous 2019 incident through which he was briefly detained at a house in the northern Mexican city of Culiacan, but was afterwards produced right after cartel gunmen flooded the city and held civilians hostage. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador purchased Guzmán produced to stay away from additional bloodshed.
But ultimately, U.S. officials stated, he was betrayed by an not likely foe: a son of his closest legal ally, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the infamous drug lord referred to as El Chapo, who's now serving a lifestyle sentence within an American federal prison.
however the arrests were hailed by officers in Washington as A serious victory for U.S. legislation enforcement, which has accused Mr. Guzman’s sons, recognised collectively because the Chapitos, for being amid the planet’s main smugglers of fentanyl.
considered one of his Lawyers, Frank Perez, Earlier has alleged his shopper was kidnapped by Guzmán López and introduced to your U.S. aboard A non-public aircraft. Guzmán López, 38, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to drug trafficking and various charges in federal court in Chicago. associated COVERAGE
The Chapitos faced a setback previous calendar year when certainly one of Guzmán’s sons, Ovidio, was captured by Mexican authorities and despatched to The usa, where he faces drug-trafficking and income-laundering fees.
Mr. Zambada García, seventy six and generally known as El Mayo, has been charged in various federal indictments stretching back again greater than two decades.
Zambada began attaining the have confidence in of Colombian traffickers, allegiances that assisted him occur out on best while in the cartel planet of at any time-shifting alliances. inevitably he became so potent that he broke off from your Juarez cartel, but still managed to help keep solid ties Along with the gang and averted a turf war.
following receiving shipments from resources like Panama and Colombia, the cartel transports the merchandise into The us. The illicit drugs are generally here dispersed by way of crossing details Positioned along Mexico’s border.
Guzman Lopez experienced engaged in lengthy surrender talks with U.S. authorities, as is usually the case in these protracted efforts to capture them, Reuters claimed, but authorities were not hopeful that El Chapo's son basically would surrender.
Zambada was indicted in 2012 on murder and conspiracy rates connected with drug trafficking, money laundering and arranged criminal offense.
“The Justice Section will not likely rest till each cartel chief, member, and affiliate chargeable for poisoning our communities is held accountable,” legal professional common Merrick Garland mentioned in a press release after the arrests.
A faction of your cartel referred to as the minimal Chapos, or “Chapitos,” has been determined as the principle exporter of fentanyl into the US industry.
The implication is the fact that Guzmán López meant to change himself in, and introduced Zambada with him to obtain extra favorable therapy, but his motives continue being unclear.