Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, accused the United States government of violating several international treaties during his detention in July 2024. In a letter released, he sought help from the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum to request his extradition and be tried in Mexico.
In the letter, Zambada claimed that he was deprived of his liberty on Mexican territory and coercively transferred to the United States. He denounced that during his detention, the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations was not respected, which stipulates that consulates must be informed about the detention of their nationals.
Moreover, El Mayo accused that during his detention, international treaties such as the American Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights were violated by being arbitrarily deprived of his liberty and without a fair trial. He also mentioned that the authorities did not respect the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States.
Zambada is accused of criminal association to manufacture and distribute fentanyl. In January, U.S. prosecutors indicated they were discussing a possible plea agreement with the drug trafficker. El Mayo's letter arrived after the United States designated six Mexican cartels, including Sinaloa, as 'foreign terrorist organizations.'
