In a stunning courtroom revelation, the son of notorious drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán has admitted to orchestrating the audacious kidnapping of his father's former rival, detailing a plot to deliver the fugitive to the United States as a "gift."
The Abduction of a Cartel Kingpin
Joaquín Guzmán López, aged 39, pleaded guilty to charges of drug trafficking and running a continuing criminal enterprise in a federal court in Chicago on Monday. As part of his plea agreement, US prosecutors disclosed the extraordinary circumstances behind the July 2024 capture of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, the Sinaloa cartel's most elusive leader.
Andrew Erskine, an attorney for the US government, told the court that Guzmán López arranged the abduction of an unnamed individual—clearly referring to Zambada—in a bid to demonstrate cooperation with Washington. Erskine stressed that US authorities did not sanction the operation and that Guzmán López would receive no formal cooperation credit for it.
A Dark Room and a Drugged Flight
The court heard how Guzmán López meticulously planned the ambush. He allegedly had a floor-to-ceiling window removed from a room ahead of a supposed meeting. Armed men then entered through this opening, seized Zambada, placed a bag over his head, and transported him to a waiting aircraft.
According to the plea details, once onboard, the captive was restrained with zip-ties and administered sedatives. The plane then flew to an airport in New Mexico, near the Texas border. Guzmán López's own account stated that he, the pilot, and Zambada were the only people on the flight, and that he too drank a small amount of the sedative-laced beverage given to his rival.
This narrative aligns with a letter Zambada sent after his arrest, in which he described being summoned to a meeting on the outskirts of Culiacán, Sinaloa's capital. He noted the presence of armed men in green military uniforms, whom he believed were gunmen for the "Chapitos"—the faction led by El Chapo's sons. Despite leading a rival wing of the cartel, Zambada maintained communication with them and followed Guzmán López into a dark room, where he was overpowered.
Political Fallout and Violent Aftermath
The unilateral arrests by US authorities infuriated Mexico's then-president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who suspected US involvement. While Washington denied any role, experts have long contended such an operation would be nearly impossible without some level of US knowledge.
Rather than offer thanks, Mexico's attorney general's office said it was exploring treason charges against Guzmán López or anyone else who aided the plot. The power vacuum created by the dual arrests triggered a bloody conflict in Sinaloa between the rival cartel factions, a wave of violence that current President Claudia Sheinbaum is still grappling with.
With this plea deal, Guzmán López's defence attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, indicated his client is expected to avoid a life sentence. His father, El Chapo, is currently serving a life sentence in the US after his 2019 conviction for leading the Sinaloa cartel and smuggling vast quantities of drugs into the country over a quarter of a century.
