In the aftermath of Ismael Zambada García’s arrest, the last remaining godfather of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel, U.S. officials initially shared their understanding of the peculiar circumstances surrounding the capture.
Initial reports suggested that Zambada García had been enticed onto a private plane by the son of his former associate, El Chapo, and flown across the border without his consent. However, upon further investigation and conversations with insiders, a different and more gripping narrative emerged.
According to three federal law enforcement officials speaking anonymously, Zambada García, a long-time fugitive, ventured down from his mountain hideout and fell into a trap set by El Chapo’s son, Joaquín Guzmán López, in Culiacán, Mexico.
Guzmán López reportedly orchestrated an ambush during what Zambada García believed to be a friendly meeting. He then coercively transported Zambada García in a Beechcraft King Air turboprop aircraft across the border, where U.S. federal agents apprehended him.
This revised version of events aligns with claims made by Zambada García’s lawyer, Frank Perez, who asserted that his client was not tricked onto the plane but rather forcibly abducted. Perez stated that Guzmán López and his accomplices restrained Zambada García, covered his head with a bag, and escorted him onto the plane, where he remained bound throughout the journey.
Perez made it clear that Zambada García did not surrender or negotiate with the U.S. authorities, emphasizing that his client was a victim of a forceful abduction by Guzmán López.
