Mexico Probes US Claims Regarding Drug Lord’s Capture
Sovereignty Concerns Mount as New Evidence Emerges
Mexico investigates whether US lied about – Mexican authorities have initiated a formal inquiry to determine if the United States provided misleading information concerning its participation in the apprehension and covert relocation of a prominent Sinaloa cartel figure during 2024. This development could represent a significant breach of Mexican territorial sovereignty. For an extended period, Washington maintained that it had no part in the operation that resulted in the detention of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, one of the cartel’s founding members, while he remained within Mexican borders.
According to recent coverage by the Mexican publication Pie de Nota, Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel allegedly took part in securing Zambada García’s capture. The attorney general of Mexico, Ernestina Godoy, addressed these allegations on Wednesday, stating that if the reports prove accurate, multiple serious concerns emerge. She outlined three primary issues: numerous infractions of both Mexican and international legal frameworks, an agreement reached outside proper legal channels, and a falsehood communicated by an American diplomat that would violate fundamental principles of diplomatic trust.
“If recent reports are confirmed, then all signs point to three serious issues: a series of violations of Mexican and international law; a pact made outside the bounds of the law; and a lie told by a US diplomat, which would constitute a breach of the cornerstone principle of good faith in diplomatic relations.”
President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized the sovereignty dimension of the controversy during a Thursday press conference. While the incident occurred under the administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the timing proves particularly sensitive for bilateral relations. President Donald Trump has frequently warned of potential military intervention in Mexico to combat drug trafficking organizations, intensifying concerns about Mexican territorial integrity.
Compounding these worries, April reports indicated that multiple Central Intelligence Agency operatives participated in a raid targeting a narcotics laboratory in northern Mexico, seemingly without federal government consent or awareness. The possibility that a US agency directly engaged in an operation on Mexican territory has rekindled anxieties regarding American personnel operating within the country.
The July 2024 incident involved Zambada García being deceived by fellow drug trafficker Joaquín Guzmán López, son of the notorious “El Chapo” Guzmán. Guzmán López convinced Zambada García to board a small aircraft within Mexico, which then transported both men to Texas. American officials apprehended them at an airport near El Paso. Throughout this process, Mexican authorities repeatedly questioned Washington about its level of involvement and expressed frustration at being excluded from key information.
At the time, American ambassador Ken Salazar firmly denied any US participation. Following suggestions from Mexican officials that Salazar had been dishonest, the former ambassador reaffirmed his stance on Wednesday through a statement posted on X. He declared that neither the aircraft, nor its pilot, nor the operation belonged to the United States, adding that truth remains truth regardless of circumstances.
“It was not our plane, not our pilot, and not our operation,” he wrote on X. “La verdad es la verdad, the truth is the truth.”
However, compelling new evidence has surfaced. The aircraft used to transport the two traffickers is now exhibited at the War Eagles Air Museum located in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Social media posts revealed a plaque accompanying the display, which states that two FBI agents “successfully executed a highly complex, secretive and daring arrest of two of the world’s most wanted fugitives.”
Attorney General Godoy disclosed that Mexican representatives attempted to examine the aircraft in August 2024 but were prevented from conducting a comprehensive inspection or capturing photographs. Furthermore, she noted that American officials had supplied incorrect or misleading identification information for the aircraft, adding another layer to the growing controversy surrounding this diplomatic incident.
