The lawyer for the powerful leader of a Mexican drug cartel, who is now in U.S. custody, rejected on Sunday the claims that his client was tricked into flying to the country, stating that he was “forcibly kidnapped” by the son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada had evaded authorities for decades and had never set foot in prison until a plane carrying him and Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of the notorious drug lord “El Chapo”, landed at an airport in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, near El Paso, Texas, on Thursday.
Both men, who face multiple drug charges in the United States, were arrested and remain in custody.
Frank Pérez, Zambada’s attorney, stated that his client did not end up at the New Mexico airport of his own accord.
“My client did not surrender nor negotiate any terms with the U.S. government,” Pérez said in a statement. “Joaquín Guzmán López forcibly kidnapped my client. He was ambushed, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed by six men in military uniforms and Joaquín. They tied his legs and put a black bag over his head.”
Pérez went on to say that the 76-year-old Zambada was thrown into the back of a truck and forced to board a plane, restrained to his seat by Guzmán López.
Known as a clever operator adept at corrupting officials, Zambada is reputed to be capable of negotiating with anyone, including his rivals.
He is facing charges in several cases in the United States, including in New York and California. Prosecutors filed a new indictment against him in New York in February, describing him as the “primary leader of the criminal enterprise responsible for importing massive quantities of narcotics into the United States.”
Removing him from the criminal landscape could spark a turbulent internal war for cartel control, as has occurred with the arrest or killing of other drug lords. Experts say it could also pave the way for a younger and more violent generation of Sinaloa traffickers to rise.
Pérez declined to offer many more comments beyond his Sunday statement, merely saying that his client had been traveling with a light security team and was lured into a trap after being called to a meeting with Guzmán López.
Pérez’s comments were first reported by the Los Angeles Times.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to an email seeking comments on Pérez’s claims. Court records did not list an attorney for Guzmán López, whose father is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.
According to a U.S. law enforcement official familiar with the matter, Zambada was tricked into flying to the United States.
The cartel leader boarded a plane believing he was going somewhere else, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official requested not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. The official did not provide details such as who persuaded 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. He is being held without bail and has pleaded not guilty to several drug trafficking charges, according to court records.
His next court hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Pérez said.
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