Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, has requested Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for his repatriation to Mexico, fearing the death penalty and warning of a possible deterioration of bilateral relations with the United States. Zambada considers his detention and delivery to U.S. authorities as an irregular and illegal act.
In a letter addressed to Sheinbaum, Zambada expressed that the United States does not have the authority to impose a sanction as severe as the death penalty and pointed out that they failed to fulfill their obligation to verify the legality of his arrest. President Sheinbaum has confirmed that the case is under review by Prosecutor Alejandro Gertz Manero, who is carefully analyzing the circumstances of the detention.
The leader of the Sinaloa Cartel was arrested in July 2024 in Texas, along with Joaquín Guzmán López, one of 'El Chapo' Guzmán's sons. Zambada later reported that he was kidnapped by Guzmán López, leading to an investigation for treason in Mexico. Mexican authorities have opened a case regarding the circumstances surrounding his arrest and delivery to the United States.
Zambada faces charges related to the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl, and U.S. prosecutors have mentioned the possibility of reaching a plea deal with him. Although Mexico can request that the United States does not impose the death penalty, this usually occurs only once the legal process has concluded.
Zambada's letter comes at a time when the United States has designated six Mexican cartels, including Sinaloa, as foreign terrorist organizations. Meanwhile, former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has expressed concern about the lack of transparency from U.S. authorities regarding the flight that took Zambada and Guzmán López to Texas.
In this context, the Mexican Federal Prosecutor's Office is evaluating whether a crime of treason has been committed in Zambada's case. The situation has generated tensions within the cartel and raised questions about the legality and legitimacy of the events that led to the detention of the criminal leader.
