Mexico has launched an investigation into whether the United States misrepresented its involvement in the capture and covert transfer of a high-ranking Sinaloa cartel member in 2024, a move that could constitute a violation of Mexican sovereignty. The US has consistently denied any role in the operation that led to the detention of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, a co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, inside Mexico. However, recent reporting by the local media outlet Pie de Nota suggests that the FBI was directly involved in his capture.
Allegations of US Involvement
“If recent reports are confirmed,” said Mexico’s attorney general, Ernestina Godoy, on Wednesday, “then all signs point to three serious issues: a series of violations of Mexican and international law; a pact made outside the bounds of the law; and a lie told by a US diplomat, which would constitute a breach of the cornerstone principle of good faith in diplomatic relations.” President Claudia Sheinbaum echoed these concerns at a news conference on Thursday, stating, “The issue here is whether there was a violation of sovereignty.”
The incident occurred under the previous administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, but the controversy comes at a particularly sensitive time in US-Mexico relations. Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to launch a ground invasion in Mexico to combat drug cartels, heightening fears for Mexican sovereignty. In April, reports emerged that several CIA agents had participated in a raid on a drug lab in northern Mexico without federal government approval or knowledge.
Details of the Capture
In July 2024, Zambada García was tricked by fellow trafficker Joaquín Guzmán López, son of the notorious drug lord “El Chapo,” into boarding a small plane in Mexico and flying to Texas. Upon landing at an airport near El Paso, both were arrested by US authorities. Mexico has repeatedly questioned Washington about its role and complained of being kept uninformed. The then-US ambassador, Ken Salazar, insisted that the US was not involved.
After Mexican authorities suggested Salazar had lied, the former ambassador reiterated his position on Wednesday: “It was not our plane, not our pilot, and not our operation,” he wrote on X. “La verdad es la verdad, the truth is the truth.” However, the plane used in the operation was recently displayed at the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. A plaque next to the aircraft, shared on social media, notes that two FBI agents “successfully executed a highly complex, secretive and daring arrest of two of the world’s most wanted fugitives.”
Obstruction of Investigation
Godoy stated that Mexican officials attempted to inspect the plane in August 2024 but were prevented from conducting a thorough examination or taking photographs. She also accused the Americans of providing “false or inaccurate identification data for that aircraft.” The investigation continues as Mexico seeks to determine whether its sovereignty was breached and whether US officials misled Mexican authorities.
