Joaquin Guzman Lopez, Son of "El Chapo," Pleads Guilty Outlining the Kidnapping of "El Mayo" Zambada

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Several gunmen entered through a window opening, of which the glass had already been removed in preparation to ambush Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada on July 25, 2024. "El Mayo" was then cuffed, and his head was covered before being pulled through the opening and loaded into the back of a pickup truck and taken to a private jet on a nearby runway. 

These are some of the new details according the plea hearing of one of the sons of his former Sinaloa cartel partner Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán who abducted him.

Joaquín Guzmán López, the 39-year-old son of "El Chapo," pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking and running a Continuing Criminal Enterprise alongside his father and then brothers in federal court in Chicago. He also pleaded guilty to a count of international kidnapping.

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El Mayo Pleads Guilty, Admits to Bribing Mexican Politicians, Police, and Military Commanders

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

"For 50 years, I led a large criminal network...From the beginning until the moment of my capture, I paid bribes to police officers, military personnel, and politicians in Mexico," stated "El Mayo" Zambada today in a New York federal courtroom. He also agreed as part of the plea deal to handover $15 billion in assets.

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US Prosecutors In Talks with El Mayo for Plea Deal in New York

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

U.S. prosecutors said Wednesday that they’re discussing a potential plea deal with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. Mayo also expressed his desire to retain his lawyer Frank Perez despite a possible conflict should Vincentillo Zambada be a potential witness in a future trial. Perez had defended Mayo's son before.

Assistant U.S. attorney Francisco Navarro said the plea discussions with Zambada, a leader of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa cartel, haven’t borne fruit so far, but prosecutors want to keep trying. A judge scheduled an April 22 hearing for an update.

Zambada’s lead attorney, Frank Perez, declined to comment on the discussions.

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Othman El-Ballouti Arrested in Dubai, Belgian Fugitive Was Once Threatened by "El Mayo"

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Othman El Ballouti, a significant figure in the international cocaine trade and known as "El Patron", has been arrested in Dubai.

Othman El Ballouti managed an international criminal organization that smuggled significant quantities of cocaine via shipping containers through the Port of Antwerp in Belgium for wider distribution throughout Europe. Their cocaine supplier Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan, "Gato" also supplied cocaine to the Sinaloa and CJNG cartels.

The Antwerp native had been evading authorities and was previously sentenced to 7 years in absentia for trafficking 840 kilos of cocaine. He is also under investigation for his ties to the Ecuadorian cartel leader. 

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Should El Mayo Go to Trial, His Brother & Son Could be Forced to Testify Against Him

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

From a Proceso Article

Vicente Zambada Niebla and Jesús Rey Zambada, son and brother of El Mayo, as protected witnesses would be obliged to testify against the kingpin of kingpins if they are so defined by Judge Cogan. If they do not accept, the act would be considered a serious violation of the agreements they signed.

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"El Mayo" Pleads Not Guilty in New York Federal Court

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, 76, a citizen of Mexico, was arraigned this morning in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on 17 counts related to drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and money laundering. This fifth superseding indictment relates to El Mayo’s decades-long leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl. El Mayo was previously charged with running a continuing criminal enterprise, as well as murder conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana manufacture and distribution conspiracy, as well as other drug-related crimes.

El Mayo was ordered detained pending trial and was transferred yesterday to the Eastern District of New York from the Western District of Texas, following his arrest in New Mexico on July 25.

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US Prosecutor Alleges "El Mayo" Ordered the Death of His Nephew "Cheyo Antrax"

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Friday the 13th is the first appearance for Isamel "El Mayo" Zambada-Garcia in a New York federal courtroom after being transferred from El Paso, Texas. The scheduled initial hearing is in the same courtroom that saw former Sinaloa Cartel leader "El Chapo" receive a life sentence, and the same prosecutor has filed a letter with the Judge ahead of the hearing. The filing details the flight risks associated with Mayo and background on violent crimes and trafficking for his first New York hearing in order to ensure he is denied bond and not released before his trial.

Journalist Keegan Hamilton has highlighted some of the key points mentioned in the latest filing by US Attorney Breon Peace who also won convictions against Genaro Garcia Luna, and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera.

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"El Mayo's" Move to New York Federal Court is to Avoid Murder Charges of US Citizens

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

The agreed transfer of Ismael Zambada García, "El Mayo," from Texas to a federal court in New York is part of a strategy by the defense to avoid the drug lord being tried on murder charges in the 2012 Texas, even though it would mean he faces charges of fentanyl trafficking, said sources familiar with the case.

Both are federal cases but the New York indictment does not have charges related to any murders.

"There are charges that he will avoid in New York and that he would have to answer to in the court of the Southern District of Texas, such as the charge of homicide, which could well be worth the death penalty and would make the trial against him more difficult, and that is why the defense preferred to negotiate with the prosecution," said a person close to Zambada García's family, who asked not to be identified.

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"El Mayo" Agrees to New York Court Transfer

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Ismael Garcia Zambada, better known as "El Mayo" has agreed to move his case to New York after a federal judge had ruled the case should remain in El Paso. The federal judge denied the government's motion to transfer Zambada to New York from El Paso.

U.S. Attorney's Office filed a new motion Thursday, claiming Zambada and his attorney have agreed to move his case to New York. He was arrested on July 25, 2024 on a 2012 warrant issued in connection with a Western District of Texas indictment. In New York, the superseding indictment was filed in February of 2024.

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Ovidio Guzman Lopez Enters Witness Protection According to DEA Source

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

A source from the DEA informed 'El Universal' that Ovidio Guzmán Lopez, son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, entered the protected witness program under the custody of the US Marshals and added that he will not be presented publicly, since his case is classified.

Guzmán López, known as "El Ratón," is no longer in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). His BOP file shows him as "Released" since July 23, 2024, a date since which his whereabouts are unknown. 

A source from the Department of Justice confirmed that the former co-leader of 'Los Chapitos' remains in U.S. custody and that his next court date is scheduled for October 1 in the Northern District of Illinois court. His brother Joaquin Guzman Lopez is scheduled for the same day for his first major court appearance in Chicago as he has retained the same lawyer and will appear before the same federal judge overseeing Ovidio's case. The brothers are Co-Defendants in the large superseding indictment.

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FGR Searches Fausto Corrales' Home, Missing Witness in Hector Cuen's Death & Relative of Recently Killed Cartel Members

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

On Saturday morning, elements of the Attorney General's Office (FGR) and the Mexican Army executed a search warrant at the home of Fausto Ernesto Corrales Rodríguez, the key witness in the murder of Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda, former rector of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS), former mayor of Culiacan tied to the kidnapping and arrest of "El Mayo" last month.

Fausto Corrales has been missing since July 25, the FGR has not been able to locate him since the night of the murder when he provided his statement to Sinaloan authorities as to what had happened.

 

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Mexico's Kidnapping Treason Law Stems from Manhunt Following DEA Agent 'Kiki' Camarena's Torture & Murder

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

The Mexican government says it is bringing charges against Joaquín Guzmán López, but not because he was one of the leaders in the Sinaloa drug cartel founded by his father, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

Instead, Mexican prosecutors are bringing charges against the younger Guzmán for allegedly kidnapping Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in order to turn him over to US authorities when they landed in New Mexico.

Federal prosecutors issued a statement saying “an arrest warrant has been prepared” against the younger Guzmán for illegal flights, kidnapping, and illicit use of airports, with treason implicated as well. They cited the charge of treason “by those who illegally abduct a person in Mexico in order to hand them over to authorities of another country.”

The inclusion of that particular clause was apparently motivated by the 1990 abduction of a Mexican doctor wanted for allegedly participating in the 1985 torture and killing of DEA Agent Kiki Camarena. The Doctor had helped to keep Camarena alive while he was being tortured, ensuring his pain would continue longer.

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FGR Issues Arrest Warrant for Joaquin Guzman Over "El Mayo" Kidnapping, Refutes Official Version of Hector Cuen's Murder

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

With Contributions from "Char"

The FGR reported that it was able to establish “with complete precision” the runway from which the plane used for the alleged kidnapping of "El Mayo" took off; that it secured the property where the former rector of the UAS, Héctor Cuén Ojeda, was allegedly murdered, and will request the arrest of Joaquín Guzmán López.

In a series of 5 photographs, the FGR showed the exterior of the event center where Zambada García was kidnapped, as well as the Ford Super Duty truck in which he was allegedly transferred to the clandestine runway that finally took him to the airport in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, near El Paso, Texas. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security were already waiting for them there. CBP agents and HSI agents searched and impounded the plane at the airport.

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Sinaloa Governor Rocha Reports 10 Killed in the Past Week Related to Aftermath of "El Mayo" Kidnapping

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

During the "Semanera" conference on Monday, August 19, the Governor of Sinaloa was questioned about the homicides reported in Sinaloa during the past weekend, as there were reports about the death of Martín García Corrales, "El Tano," while days before the body of Juan Carlos "El Vampi" was also found, both linked to El Mayo Zambada. 

“Regarding the issue of the murders that occurred last week, yesterday [Sunday] there were two, on Saturday there were six and on Friday there were four. These six and these four do have to do with relations with organized crime organizations." Governor Ruben Rocha pointed out that there are a couple of additional deaths unrelated to organized crime beyond the 10 recorded by authorities and linked to drug trafficking by personnel from SEDENA who monitors murders linked to drug trafficking.

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Hector Cuén Ojeda's Autopsy Report and Illegal Cremation Contradicts Sinaloa Authorities Claims

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

From a Proceso Article

"The immediate cadaveric signs, temperature, thanatological signs, lividity, and the correct description and evolution of the body are not correctly established," the report states.

“Nor were the measures for preserving the body complied with by any of the authorities involved, allowing for cremation which is contrary to criminalistic practices for investigating homicides.”

According to information from the FGR, the body of Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda had a strong hematoma on the head and received four shots to the legs, which contradicts the version of the gas station video exhibited by the Sinaloa Prosecutor's Office to support the attempted robbery as the main line of investigation into the politician's murder.

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El Mayo's Police Bodyguard Confirmed Missing, Sinaloa Governor Denies Involvement in "Mayo Meeting"

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

With Contributions from "HEARST"

The Sinaloa Prosecutor's Office reported that the judicial police officer mentioned in the letter written by Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, does exist, and that he has been missing since the day of the kidnapping and US arrest.

"It is reported that there is an active investigative agent with the indicated name of Rosario Heras, assigned to arrest warrants; who had his vacation period from July 15 to 30, 2024," the Prosecutor's Office indicated.

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The Mysterious Flight of El Mayo & Joaquin Part 2: What is Now Claimed

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Read The First Part Here

One week ago, we reported on the details of the Beechcraft King Air that delivered Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada-Garcia and Joaquin Guzman Lopez to US authorities. Initially, Mexico's President and Security Secretary claimed incorrectly, based on the Santa Teresa, New Mexico flight records that day that the plane was an older Cessna 250 owned and piloted by Larry Curtis Parker.

We saw from multiple news and local sources as well as photos of the seized aircraft that this was incorrect. However, no record of the Beechcraft with registration number N287KA flew into the US that day, let alone from Mexico.

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The Mysterious Flight of El Mayo & Joaquin, What We Know and Don't Know

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

With Contributions from "HEARST" "Enojon" & "Some Dude"

Three days after the arrests of "El Mayo" and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, some details remain murky. While the most unanswered question is if Mayo came into the hands of US authorities willingly or if he was setup or kidnapped still remains unclear. Also unclear is the location that the pair of Sinaloa cartel figures took off in the plane from before landing in New Mexico at the airport in Santa Teresa, just outside of El Paso, Texas.

This has further been confused with statements made the following morning by the Mexican Security Minister and President AMLO, which contradicts local news and witness reports. As well as new footage obtained by Borderland Beat of the plane that the pair arrived on.

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"El Mayo" and Joaquin Guzman Arrest Photos & Details Emerge

Borderland Beat Contributors

During Mexican President AMLO's morning conference, the Secretary of Citizen Security and future Secretary of the Interior, Rosa Icela Rodríguez released deatils and a chronology of the events for the arrests in the US of Ismael Zambada Garcia and Joaquin Guzman Lopez.

The official said that agents located in El Paso, Texas, sent the Mexican government two photographs that not only confirmed the capture, but also confirmed that the identities of "El Mayo" and Joaquín Guzmán López.

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Ismael "Mayo" Zambada Garcia Arrested in El Paso, Texas

 Borderland Beat Contributors

Zeta Tijuana and Proceso reports that Mayo Zambada has been captured in El Paso, Texas.

No US agency has confirmed the arrest.

Unverified sources allege the arrest was carried out by the FBI, rather than the DEA.

Reuters writes that “sources” say that Mayo is in custody. 

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