Two top figures in Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel in US custody

US agents arrested two top leaders of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel in Texas on Thursday, the justice department said, striking a major blow to one of the most powerful and violent criminal organizations in the world.

Ismael Zambada Garcia, also known as 'El Mayo,' cofounder of the Cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of its other co-founder, were arrested in El Paso, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

Details about the arrests have not been officially released, but US media said law enforcement sources described a dramatic sting operation in which El Mayo was unwittingly lured across the border.

Garland described the Sinaloa cartel as "one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world."

The pair face "multiple charges in the United States for leading the Cartel's criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks," he said.

The arrests are another major blow to the Sinaloa cartel, whose co-founder Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison in the United States.

El Chapo was convicted in 2019 of running what was believed to be the world's biggest narcotics syndicate.

The cartel, which was born in the northwestern state of Sinaloa, is one of Mexico's most powerful and violent criminal groups.

After El Chapo's capture, several of his sons, collectively known as the "Chapitos" or "The Little Chapos," inherited control of the organization, according to US authorities.

One son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, was extradited to the United States last year to face narcotics charges.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration's chief Anne Milgram said in a statement that Thursday's arrest of Zambada "strikes at the heart of the cartel that is responsible for the majority of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, killing Americans from coast to coast."

And the capture of El Chapo's son marks "another enormous blow to the Sinaloa Cartel," Milgram added.

Details about the arrests have not been officially released, but US media said law enforcement sources described a dramatic sting operation in which El Mayo was unwittingly lured across the border.

Fox News reported Guzman Lopez had convinced Zambada to board a private plane for a flight south in Mexico, but instead it flew north and landed in El Paso, Texas.

When the aircraft touched down, Guzman surrendered and El Mayo was captured, a Fox News reporter posted on social media platform X.

The New York Times quoted US officials saying the son of El Chapo Guzman lured Zambada onto a private plane to El Paso "under false pretenses".

- 'Low profile' cartel boss -

Zambada, who co-founded the cartel, is described by the InSight Crime think tank as "one of the most storied drug traffickers in Mexican history."

It said the cartel "has forged connections at the highest levels of Mexico's federal police and military, and has bribed members of both institutions to maintain an advantage over rival organizations."

The 76-year-old Zambada is believed to have never served time in prison, and US authorities have been after him for decades.

"He is known primarily for maintaining a low profile and a focus on business over violence. In addition, he is one of the few old-guard bosses who has managed to evade justice throughout his criminal career," InSight Crime said before his detention.

The United States had offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

Victims of the cartels' ultra-violent turf wars include rival gang members, security personnel and journalists, who are among more than 450,000 people murdered since the government launched a military offensive against drug cartels in 2006.

The United States saw more than 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fentanyl accounted for about 70 percent of them.

The US government says fentanyl is often made from products sourced in China, and then is smuggled across the border from Mexico by drug traffickers, especially the Sinaloa cartel.

"Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced," Garland added in his statement. "The Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable."