Mexico opens probe amid claims Sinaloa Cartel leader Zambada was kidnapped on way to US

By Lizbeth Diaz

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican authorities have opened an investigation into events that led to last week's arrest of Sinaloa Cartel chief Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, Mexico's security minister said on Monday.

Zambada was arrested on Thursday near El Paso, Texas, after landing in a small plane that arrived from Mexico. Reuters and other news outlets, citing anonymous U.S. officials, reported last week that El Mayo appeared to have been tricked by a son of former Sinaloa Cartel chief Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who wanted to surrender to authorities.

But Zambada's lawyer, Frank Perez, contradicted that story on Saturday and said the legendary trafficker was violently kidnapped by El Chapo's son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez.

Perez said Guzman Lopez and six men in military uniforms ambushed Zambada near Culiacan in Mexico's Sinaloa state, forced him onto a plane and brought him to the United States against his will. Zambada pleaded not guilty to drug charges on Friday in a federal court in El Paso.

Rosa Icela Rodriguez, Mexico's security minister, said the federal Attorney General's Office has "opened the investigation in the state of Sonora for crimes that may have occurred," including the flight's point of departure and other details.

Rodriguez said the Mexican government was not involved in the operation and was told only on the day of the arrests that Guzman Lopez would surrender.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told a press conference on Monday that his armed forces have confirmed they were not involved in Zambada's capture, despite claims by Zambada's lawyer that men in military fatigues ambushed the famous capo.

Rodriguez said at the same press conference that U.S. officials told Mexican authorities they did not know that both drug traffickers were on the aircraft. She added that U.S. officials informed them that "the flight was not planned by any U.S. agency," although the American agents knew that Guzman Lopez had previously intended to surrender.

(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City; Editing by Drazen Jorgic and Matthew Lewis)