The capture of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the last of the old guard Mexican drug traffickers, by U.S. authorities is expected to usher in a new era for Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa cartel. Zambada, known for his astuteness and ability to corrupt officials and negotiate, had eluded capture for decades. His arrest is anticipated to spark violence in Mexico as rivals within the cartel compete for control. The Mexican government has deployed special forces to Sinaloa state in response to this potential escalation.
Zambada’s arrest could lead to a power struggle within the cartel and potentially allow a more violent younger generation of traffickers to rise in prominence. Despite being considered a tactical success, the capture of Zambada is viewed as strategically problematic due to the potential for increased violence and power dynamics within Mexico’s drug cartels.
The arrest, which also led to the detention of Joaquín Guzmán López, son of the infamous Sinaloa leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, was facilitated by a trap that involved the Chapitos faction within the cartel. Zambada’s cooperation could provide crucial information about the cartel’s operations and corruption networks. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, critical of the strategy of taking down drug kingpins, considered the arrests an “advance.”
However, with Mexico’s violence remaining uncontrolled and tensions with U.S. authorities over cartel control, the implications of Zambada’s arrest remain to be seen. The capture underscores the unprecedented power amassed by cartels in Mexico and the potential for an increase in violence and influence of the Jalisco New Generation cartel.
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