Mexico Has Requested 'El Mayo's' Extradition Up To Four Times Since July 2024, Attorney General Says

Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, is trying to be taken to Mexico as he seeks to avoid standing trial in the United States, where he faces 17 charges in New York, including drug-trafficking, conspiracy to commit murder and money laundering.

Prosecutors claim that Zambada played a central role in trafficking fentanyl into the United States, contributing to a surge in overdose deaths. As he could potentially face the death penalty if found guilty in U.S. courts, El Mayo has requested to be repatriated to Mexico, claiming he was unlawfully transferred to the United States without a formal extradition process, a version that has also been supported by Mexican officials. Zambada says he was abducted by a rival cartel member and taken to Texas, where he was then apprehended by U.S. law enforcement.

In that context, Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero said the country has requested the extradition up to four times since Zambada was captured in July of 2024.

"We have insisted in four occasions about this issue to the previous administration," Gertz Manero said.

According to local outlet Proceso, the Gertz Manero said the administration presented the request to the Biden administration immediately after Zambada's arrest and that the State Department had already recognized their request in December.

Zambada's defense contends that his abduction and subsequent transfer to the U.S. violated Mexico's sovereignty. He claimed 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, as the faction of the cartel loyal to him clashes with those answering to Zambada.

"All the intel we have gathered and clarified is that at an aerodrome near the city of Culiacán, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán's son, up to two pilots, and the other culprit, were part of the operation," Gertz Manero said.

Mexico's Attorney General told reporters that the extradition process usually takes no more than 45 days, but there have been cases in which they have had to wait up to 12 years for a response.

"What we need is that they comply with the request so we can carry out our arrest warrants and see if there is an additional request for him to be extradited back to the U.S.," Gertz Manero said.

On Feb. 25, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also said her administration will evaluate Zambada's repatriation request based on legal principles applicable to any Mexican resident.

"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."

As both countries continue to go back and forth, Zambada would allegedly be open to reaching a deal with American prosecutors and plead guilty to charges if that means avoiding the death penalty.