The Mexican Attorney General accused the Joe Biden administration of ignoring repeated extradition requests against Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel alongside Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán. Attorney General Alejandro Gertz, during a press conference with President Claudia Sheinbaum, stated that 'We have insisted on four occasions before the previous U.S. government administration and we have not received a response.'
In response to this situation, 'El Mayo's' defense revealed that the detained individual was scheduled to meet with local authorities in Culiacán, including the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya. The goal was to discuss various political issues in a meeting organized by Joaquín Guzmán López, son of 'El Chapo,' to seek solutions.
It has been reported that the consular assistance provided to 'El Mayo' is not an isolated case, as the Mexican State is committed to supporting its citizens who are in custody in the United States. The request for consular assistance in this case was to prevent 'El Mayo' from facing the death penalty in that country.
Despite the efforts made, the extradition of 'El Mayo' remains pending, as highlighted by Gertz. A year after his detention, U.S. justice has not yet scheduled a hearing to read the charges against him, which has raised concerns among Mexican authorities.
The prosecutor mentioned that the extradition procedure is based on multiple arrest warrants against 'El Mayo,' who was taken out of the country in an operation last July, without the knowledge of then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. 'El Mayo' was detained on July 25, 2024, in El Paso, Texas, after he was allegedly kidnapped and transferred to the United States.
