On November 18, 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice dismissed charges against General Salvador Cienfuegos and authorized his return to Mexico. The investigations were transferred to the Attorney General’s Office of Mexico, which later decided not to take legal action against the former Secretary of National Defense due to lack of evidence.
It has been speculated that the release of Cienfuegos was due to diplomatic pressure exerted by the Mexican government, led at the time by Andrés Manuel López Obrador. There were threats to limit cooperation in areas such as security, drug trafficking, and immigration if the general was not released.
Prosecutor Alejandro Gertz Manero has denied that Mexico requested U.S. authorities to drop the charges against Cienfuegos, stating that there are no documents to support this claim. In January 2021, the FGR published the investigation file against Cienfuegos and the reasons for not taking legal action against him.
Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, has expressed concern over a possible collapse in bilateral relations between Mexico and the United States if he receives the death penalty in the legal process he faces in U.S. territory. Zambada has pointed out irregularities in his capture and extradition, urging the Mexican government to intervene to avoid negative consequences in the relationship between both countries.
Regarding Zambada's capture, comparisons were made with Cienfuegos's detention in 2020, who was arrested in Los Angeles, California, on charges of conspiracy to traffic drugs and money laundering. The DEA filed the charges based on statements from protected witnesses, several of whom participated in the trial against Genaro García Luna.
