Mexican drug cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada has claimed he was ambushed and kidnapped under false pretenses and subsequently taken to the United States, according to a letter released by his lawyer on Saturday, reported AP. The two-page letter details Zambada’s account of an incident on July 25, where he was supposedly invited to a meeting with local politicians, including Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya.
According to Zambada, fellow drug lord Joaquín Guzmán López arranged the meeting, but instead, he was ambushed.He was reportedly knocked down, hooded, handcuffed, and then transported in a pickup truck to a private landing strip. There, he was forced onto a plane that took him, along with Guzmán López, to the United States.
The US ambassador to Mexico confirmed on Friday that Zambada was indeed taken to the US against his will, arriving in Texas in July alongside Guzmán López. This revelation has intensified scrutiny of potential links between local politicians and drug traffickers in Sinaloa.
Governor Rocha has denied any connection to criminal activities and stated he was not in Sinaloa on the day of the alleged ambush, claiming he was in Los Angeles. At an event in Culiacán, Rocha asserted, “There is no complicity with crime,” and emphasized his confidence in the governor’s integrity. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum were present, showing their support for Rocha.
Zambada’s letter also mentioned Héctor Melesio Cuén, a former local congressman and mayor of Culiacán, who was reportedly murdered on the same day at the meeting site. The letter did not specify Rocha’s presence but claimed Cuén was a long-time friend of Zambada.
Zambada, who is 76, made his second appearance in US federal court in Texas in early August following his extradition. Guzmán López, 38, had been negotiating with US authorities for potential surrender. He has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in federal court in Chicago. Both men remain jailed and face various drug-related charges in the US.
Ken Salazar, the US ambassador to Mexico, noted that the plane used for the extradition was unregistered and piloted by a non-American, implying possible covert operations in Guzmán López’s attempt to secure more favorable treatment.
Zambada, considered a key strategist within the Sinaloa cartel, has been involved in extensive corruption networks and remains a central figure in the cartel’s internal conflicts. He faces multiple charges in the US, including a recent indictment in New York, where he is described as the “principal leader” responsible for significant narcotics imports into the US.
According to Zambada, fellow drug lord Joaquín Guzmán López arranged the meeting, but instead, he was ambushed.He was reportedly knocked down, hooded, handcuffed, and then transported in a pickup truck to a private landing strip. There, he was forced onto a plane that took him, along with Guzmán López, to the United States.
The US ambassador to Mexico confirmed on Friday that Zambada was indeed taken to the US against his will, arriving in Texas in July alongside Guzmán López. This revelation has intensified scrutiny of potential links between local politicians and drug traffickers in Sinaloa.
Governor Rocha has denied any connection to criminal activities and stated he was not in Sinaloa on the day of the alleged ambush, claiming he was in Los Angeles. At an event in Culiacán, Rocha asserted, “There is no complicity with crime,” and emphasized his confidence in the governor’s integrity. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum were present, showing their support for Rocha.
Zambada’s letter also mentioned Héctor Melesio Cuén, a former local congressman and mayor of Culiacán, who was reportedly murdered on the same day at the meeting site. The letter did not specify Rocha’s presence but claimed Cuén was a long-time friend of Zambada.
Zambada, who is 76, made his second appearance in US federal court in Texas in early August following his extradition. Guzmán López, 38, had been negotiating with US authorities for potential surrender. He has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in federal court in Chicago. Both men remain jailed and face various drug-related charges in the US.
Ken Salazar, the US ambassador to Mexico, noted that the plane used for the extradition was unregistered and piloted by a non-American, implying possible covert operations in Guzmán López’s attempt to secure more favorable treatment.
Zambada, considered a key strategist within the Sinaloa cartel, has been involved in extensive corruption networks and remains a central figure in the cartel’s internal conflicts. He faces multiple charges in the US, including a recent indictment in New York, where he is described as the “principal leader” responsible for significant narcotics imports into the US.