Disputed US Role in El Mayo Zambada’s Capture Fuels Cartel Violence Surge

On July 25 2024, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada was taken from Culiacán aboard a Beechcraft King Air that also carried Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of El Chapo who planned to surrender. Los Chapitos, the faction led by El Chapo’s sons, delivered Zambada to US agents, a betrayal recounted in both López Obrador’s essay “Pueblo” and Ken Salazar’s memoir “Borderlands”. López Obrador alleges the US State Department and security agencies colluded with the Guzmán brothers to kidnap Zambada, citing a letter from Salazar that hints at prior knowledge.

Salazar, however, maintains the United States only learned of the capture after the aircraft was airborne and provided no resources. The incident sparked violent retaliation by La Mayiza, Zambada’s faction, resulting in a two-year conflict with hundreds killed, disappeared or displaced. The FBI’s recent museum display of the aircraft has revived scrutiny of Washington’s role, and the diplomatic relationship between López Obrador and Salazar has deteriorated.