Salazar Denies Lying on El Mayo Capture as Sheinbaum Probes

Background of the July 2024 Arrest

In July 2024, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada was arrested by U.S. authorities after arriving at the Doña Ana County International Jetport in New Mexico in a light plane along with Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of convicted drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and a pilot. This event marked a significant moment in efforts against the Sinaloa Cartel, directly affecting families across Mexico who have long endured the consequences of cartel violence in their communities.

President Claudia Sheinbaum and the Federal Attorney General's Office (FGR) have since raised concerns about how this arrest unfolded, emphasizing the need for clarity to protect Mexican sovereignty and the safety of ordinary citizens.

Salazar's August 2024 Statement and Defense

Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, who served between September 2021 and January 2025, issued a statement in August 2024 defending the U.S. position. He said that Guzmán López surrendered voluntarily to U.S. authorities, but added that evidence indicated that Zambada was taken to the United States against his will. Salazar asserted that "no United States resources were used to facilitate Guzmán López's surrender," stating "it was not our plane, not our pilot, not our people."

He further noted that no flight plan was presented to United States authorities before the plane took off in Sinaloa, and that the pilot was not a United States government employee nor was he hired by the U.S. government or "any U.S. citizen." On Wednesday, Salazar responded to recent questions by acknowledging that Sheinbaum "has asked a question: who told the truth?" and referenced communications from Attorney General Merrick Garland on July 25 and 26, 2024.

Sheinbaum Raises Questions on Tuesday

On Tuesday, President Claudia Sheinbaum directly questioned Salazar's earlier remarks following a report by journalist Luis Chaparro. She asked, "Did Ambassador Ken Salazar lie?" when he released his statement in August 2024, and suggested that he did. Sheinbaum has consistently asserted that the U.S. government was involved in the capture of Zambada, which occurred while former U.S. President Joe Biden was still in office.

She noted that the López Obrador administration asked U.S. authorities to explain how the arrest came about, but it never received a clear response. This ongoing dialogue reflects Mexico's commitment to transparency for the benefit of families impacted by cross-border operations.

FGR Investigation and Chaparro Report

The FGR, which is investigating the report by Chaparro and his media outlet/YouTube channel Pie de Nota, also called into question the veracity of Salazar's remarks on Wednesday. In his report, Chaparro, who obtained access to the plane, said that the U.S. government "has accepted" that the capture of Zambada was an FBI operation.

He asserted that a "joint work group" made up of personnel from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Central Intelligence Agency were "behind" the operation to capture Zambada and used Guzmán López as "the main material operator of the kidnapping" of "El Mayo." Last December, Guzmán López said in a U.S. court that he orchestrated the kidnapping of Zambada before the Sinaloa Cartel kingpin was forced onto a plane and flown to the United States.

Concerns Over Sovereignty and Prior Incidents

If it is confirmed that the FBI and/or other U.S. agencies were involved in an operation to capture Zambada, the Mexican government would consider that another violation of Mexican sovereignty by the United States. Sheinbaum has already denounced U.S. interference in Mexico in light of the CIA's alleged participation in a drug lab raid in Chihuahua in April and U.S. prosecutors' request for the arrest of Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and various other current and former officials accused of drug trafficking in league with the Sinaloa Cartel.

These developments underscore the importance of respecting national boundaries to maintain trust between neighbors.

Effects on Mexican Families and Ongoing Violence

Stemming from his belief that the U.S. government was involved in an operation to capture Zambada, López Obrador asserted that the United States was partly to blame for the escalation of violence between "Los Chapitos" and "Los Mayos," whose long-running feud intensified after El Mayo's kidnapping and arrest, claiming well over 2,000 lives and causing the disappearance of thousands more since September 2024. Sheinbaum has indicated that she shares that view.

For ordinary Mexican families, such escalations bring daily uncertainty, disrupting community life and local economies in regions tied to these conflicts. The focus remains on how these events shape the future for children and workers seeking stability.

By Rosa Martinez, Staff Writer