The lawyer for a powerful Mexican drug cartel leader now in US custody denied claims on Sunday that his client was lured into the country by deception. He said he was “forcibly abducted” by the son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada evaded authorities for decades and never went to jail, until a plane carrying him and Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of notorious drug kingpin “El Chapo,” landed at an airport in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, near El Paso, Texas, on Thursday. Both men, who face various U.S. drug charges, were arrested and are still in jail.
Zambada’s attorney, Frank Perez, said his client did not arrive at the New Mexico airport of his own free will.
“My client did not surrender nor negotiate any terms with the U.S. government,” Perez said in a statement. “Joaquin Guzman Lopez forcibly abducted my client. He was ambushed, thrown to the ground and handcuffed by Joaquin and six men dressed in military uniforms. His legs were bound and a black bag was placed over his head.” Perez added that Zambada, 76, was thrown into the back of a pickup truck, forced onto a plane and tied to a seat by Guzman Lopez.
Known as a shrewd operator skilled at corrupting officials, Zambada has a reputation for being able to negotiate with everyone, including rivals. He has been charged in multiple U.S. cases, including in New York and California. Prosecutors brought a new indictment against him in New York in February, describing him as “the principal leader of a criminal enterprise responsible for the importation of vast quantities of narcotics into the United States.”
Removing him from the criminal scene could trigger a turbulent internal battle for control of the cartel, as has happened with the arrests or killings of other kingpins. Experts say it could also open the way for a more violent, younger generation of Sinaloa traffickers to take over.
Pérez declined to comment beyond his statement on Sunday, saying only that his client was traveling with a light security entourage and was implicated after being summoned to a meeting with Guzmán López.
Perez’s comments were first reported by the Los Angeles Times.
A U.S. Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Perez’s claims on Sunday. Court records did not name a lawyer for Guzman Lopez, whose father is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.
According to a US law enforcement official familiar with the matter, Zambada was tricked into flying to the US
The cartel leader boarded the plane thinking he was headed somewhere else, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter. The official did not provide details about who convinced Zambada to board the plane or where he thought he was headed.
Zambada appeared in federal court in El Paso on Friday morning, where a judge read the charges against him and informed him of his rights. Court records show he is being held without bail and has pleaded not guilty to various drug trafficking charges. His next court hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Perez said.