FBI and DEA arrest 2 alleged leaders of Mexican drug cartel who have “eluded law enforcement for decades,” says Director Wray
By Evan Perez, Hannah Rabinowitz and Mark Morales (CNN) --
Editor’s Note:
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FBI Director Chris Wray said the FBI and DEA arrested the two alleged drug cartel leaders who have “eluded law enforcement for decades” and that they “will now face justice in the United States.”
"Garcia and Guzman have allegedly overseen the trafficking of tens of thousands of pounds of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the U.S. along with related violence,” Wray said in a statement Thursday night. “These arrests are an example of the FBI's and our partners commitment to dismantling violent transnational criminal organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel."
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said the arrests “strikes at the heart of the cartel that is responsible for the majority of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, killing Americans from coast to coast.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas applauded the “brave agents and officers,” including those from
Homeland Security Investigations, “whose years of work, alongside others in the law enforcement community, have, at great personal sacrifice, disrupted and dismantled cartel operations across the world.”
Statement from FBI Director Christopher Wray:
"Today, the FBI and DEA arrested two alleged cartel leaders who have eluded law enforcement for decades. Ismael Mario "El Mayo" Zambada García and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of El Chapo, will now face justice in the United States," said FBI Director Chris Wray. "Garcia and Guzman have allegedly overseen the trafficking of tens of thousands of pounds of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the U.S. along with related violence. These arrests are an example of the FBI's and our partners commitment to dismantling violent transnational criminal organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel."
Statement from DEA Adminstrator Anne Migram:
“The arrest of Ismael Zambada García, better known as “El Mayo,” one of the alleged founders and leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, strikes at the heart of the cartel that is responsible for the majority of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, killing Americans from coast to coast. El Mayo is one of DEA’s most wanted fugitives and he is in custody tonight and will soon face justice in a U.S. court of law,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Joaquin Guzman Lopez, another alleged leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, and the son of ‘El Chapo,’ was also arrested today - his arrest is another enormous blow to the Sinaloa Cartel. In 2017, he and his brothers, the Chapitos, allegedly took control of the Sinaloa Cartel after El Chapo was extradited to the United States. DEA will continue to seek justice for any American life that is lost and will work tirelessly to prevent more needless deaths and pursue those that are responsible.”
Statement from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas:
“The Sinaloa Cartel pioneered the manufacture of fentanyl and has for years trafficked it into our country, killing hundreds of thousands of Americans and devastating countless communities. The Biden-Harris Administration has taken a relentless, unprecedented, and comprehensive approach to combating the scourge of fentanyl. Today, two of the Cartel’s alleged top leaders – Ismael Zambada Garcia (“El Mayo”) and Joaquin Guzman Lopez – are in U.S. custody and will be brought to justice. I commend the dedicated, brave agents and officers of Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI whose years of work, alongside others in the law enforcement community, have, at great personal sacrifice, disrupted and dismantled cartel operations across the world.”
