On Thursday, July 25, the FBI announced the arrest of Joaquín Guzmán López, the 38-year-old son of imprisoned Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, a 76-year-old co-founder and long-time leader of the notorious cartel. Both men are facing multiple charges in the U.S. connected to the cartel’s criminal operations, including its lethal fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks.
The arrests represent a significant development in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking. Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed that Guzmán López and Zambada García have been indicted in the United States and face serious charges related to their leadership roles in the Sinaloa Cartel. This comes amid revelations that one of the men may have been deceived into traveling to the U.S.
According to law enforcement officials, Zambada was allegedly tricked into boarding a plane to the U.S. by a senior Sinaloa cartel member, as part of a coordinated operation by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI. While Guzmán López was transported to Chicago, Zambada remained in El Paso.
Zambada, one of the cartel’s founders and a key figure in its operations made his initial court appearance in El Paso on Friday. He pleaded not guilty and waived his arraignment and detention hearings, as documented in court records. His arrest, alongside Guzmán López, marks a major setback for two of the most sought-after drug traffickers in the world, who face accusations of extortion, corruption, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
Both men were indicted earlier this year, with Zambada facing charges in Brooklyn for fentanyl trafficking and Guzmán López having been indicted in 2018 on federal drug trafficking charges. The FBI has stated that Zambada and Guzmán López allegedly oversaw the trafficking of tens of thousands of pounds of drugs into the United States, along with associated violence.
FBI Director Christopher Wray highlighted the gravity of the arrests: “Garcia and Guzman have allegedly overseen the trafficking of tens of thousands of pounds of drugs into the United States, along with related violence.”
Guzmán López, one of El Chapo’s 12 children, is among those known as “Los Chapitos” due to their significant involvement in the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations. Since his first indictment, Guzmán López has faced multiple federal charges. President Joe Biden praised the law enforcement agencies for their role in the arrests, commending their efforts to hold Sinaloa Cartel leaders accountable.
In other news – High Court orders DNA Tests; Oliver Mtukudzi’s elders tell Tinashe Mugabe to avoid family
The quest of Aaron Chaka to legally assume the surname Mtukudzi and be acknowledged as the son of the late music legend Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi has encountered a significant setback. The High Court, under Justice Fatima Chakapamambo Maxwell, has dismissed Chaka’s application, citing substantial discrepancies and the lack of concrete evidence in his claims. This ruling has intensified an already contentious dispute within the Mtukudzi family and stirred a heated debate about the legitimacy of paternity claims.
Chaka, 45, sought a legal order to amend his birth certificate to reflect Oliver Mtukudzi as his father. However, the Registrar of Births and Deaths, the case’s first respondent, argued that such a request effectively amounted to a re-registration of Chaka’s birth certificate—a process requiring more rigorous proof. The court echoed these concerns, emphasizing the necessity for “concrete evidence,” including a paternity test, to substantiate Chaka’s claims.Read More
