Mexican authorities have raided the ranch where it is believed that Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, the co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, was ambushed before being taken to the United States for his arrest.
Local media reported that officers are in the "Santa Lucía" ranch, located in Sinaloa, looking for potential evidence that could help clarify the succession of events that led to "El Mayo's" capture.
The drug lord said he attended a meeting with Joaquín Guzmán López, son of "El Chapo" Guzmán," but was ambushed. Guzmán López was also arrested in Texas in late July. Analysts have speculated about the possibility that Guzmán López took "El Mayo" to U.S. authorities in hopes of getting a better deal for himself, as he was considering turning himself in.
In fact, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) source told Mexican outlet El Universal that another son of "El Chapo," Ovidio Guzmán, has entered the U.S. Witness Protection Program under the custody of the U.S. Marshals.
Guzmán López, known as "El Ratón," is no longer listed under the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) custody. His BOP record indicates that he was "released" on July 23. This development has led the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) in Mexico to suggest a possible connection between the kidnapping of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada and the alleged release of Ovidio Guzmán.
Ovidio Guzmán López, son of the notorious drug lord Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, is a significant player within the Sinaloa Cartel. His faction, known as 'Los Chapitos,' has been involved in a power struggle with other groups vying for cartel control. His apparent entry into the Witness Protection Program could signify a significant shift in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking.
Entering the Witness Protection Program, as El Universal reported, typically involves a series of legal maneuvers designed to protect key witnesses in criminal cases. For someone like Ovidio Guzmán, who possesses significant insider knowledge about the operations of the Sinaloa Cartel, this could mean a substantial shift in the prosecution's approach towards dismantling the cartel's remaining power structures.
Tensions are indeed rising in Sinaloa following the arrests. Last week, local media reported images of burning cars blocking roads, images that have already been seen in the region during clashes with cartels.
While the Mexican government has delivered stern warnings (and pleas) to organized crime in the region, hoping to prevent a full-out war between warring factions in the Sinaloa Cartel, things are heating up, as many analysts expected.
The government has sent at least 1,000 troops to the region in an attempt to help prevent an explosion of violence. But despite the military presence, cartel members from both sides have begun mobilizing, with reports of gunmen being recruited and weapons stockpiled. A source close to Zambada's operations indicated that the "Chapitos," as Guzmán López and his brothers are known, have as many as 5,000 gunmen at their disposal, while Zambada's faction, known as the Mayiza, relies on alliances forged over decades.
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