Mexican President Vows to Evaluate Repatriation of Sinaloa Cartel Leader 'El Mayo' Zambada 'Like Any Mexican Citizen'

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that her administration will evaluate the repatriation request of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, a co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, based on legal principles applicable to any Mexican citizen. .

"We do not fall for threats or blackmail; we abide by our responsibility, the Constitution, and the law," Sheinbaum said during her daily press briefing when addressing the matter. "When faced with a situation like this, we refer to the rights of any Mexican citizen, whatever their circumstances, and to what the Constitution and law dictate."

Zambada, who is currently imprisoned in New York, claimed in a letter originally published by Mexican news site La Reforma on Friday that he was unlawfully transferred to the United States without a formal extradition process.

The letter, addressed to the Mexican government, demands "immediate repatriation" and warned that failure to act could lead to a "collapse" in bilateral relations between Mexico and the U.S. Zambada went on to argue that his abduction was orchestrated by individuals acting outside legal frameworks (as he was taken to Texas by the leader of a warring Sinaloa Cartel faction) and insists that if the Mexican government does not intervene, he will face the death penalty without recourse.

Sheinbaum acknowledged the letter and confirmed that Mexican authorities, including Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero, will review the matter. "Beyond the person involved and the crimes committed, the issue is the right of a Mexican citizen to be judged under due process," she stated.

The case has gained prominence amid recent U.S. actions against the Sinaloa Cartel, including its designation as a terrorist organization. Zambada's defense contends that his abduction and subsequent transfer to the U.S. violate Mexico's sovereignty. His letter alleges that he was taken from Culiacán, Sinaloa, and transported to Texas in a private aircraft with the involvement of Joaquin Guzmán López, son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. A faction loyal to him has been engaged in a bloody turf war with another responding to the sons of "El Chapo" since September, with hundreds of deaths.

Zambada faces multiple charges in the U.S., including drug trafficking, organized crime, and money laundering. Prosecutors in the case confirmed in January they are considering the death penalty due to Zambada's alleged role in the fentanyl crisis, which has caused widespread overdoses across the country.