The capture of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the last of the grand old Mexican drug traffickers, marks the end of an era for the powerful Sinaloa cartel. Experts predict a new wave of violence as Zambada’s arrest could trigger an internal war for control of the cartel. This could also lead to more brutal actions from the younger generation of Sinaloa traffickers. The Mexican government has already deployed special forces to address the potential escalation of violence.
Zambada was tricked into flying to the U.S., where he was arrested along with the son of notorious drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has criticized the strategy of taking down drug kingpins, stated that Mexico was not involved in the U.S. operation but views the arrests as an advance. The capture of Zambada could result in increased cooperation between Mexican and U.S. authorities to combat drug trafficking.
Zambada, considered the cartel’s most skilled agent of corruption, has valuable information about the cartel’s operations. He may decide to cooperate with prosecutors and provide intelligence about the trafficking networks and corruption within the Mexican government. The arrest of Zambada highlights the challenges faced by both countries in combating drug cartels, as well as the impact of his arrest on the criminal landscape in Mexico.
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