The leader of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel was arrested in the United States.

Ismael El Mayo Zambada, co-founder and leader of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel, was arrested in El Paso, Texas. US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced this, emphasizing that this is “one of the most brutal and powerful drug cartels in the world.”

Zambada, 76, founded the cartel with Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman (El Chapo), who is currently serving a life sentence in a US prison.

Guzman's son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, was arrested along with Zambada, the US Department of Justice said. Both were detained at one of the private airports in Texas. US authorities accuse them, among other things, of trafficking in fentanyl, a synthetic opioid.

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Department of Justice will not rest until every cartel leader, member and associate responsible for poisoning our citizens is held accountable,” Garland said.

In addition to the fentanyl trafficking charges, El Mayo also faces murder, kidnapping, money laundering and organized crime charges in the United States. Washington offered a $15 million reward for his capture.

Sambada eluded US authorities for decades, but apparently flew to Texas on his own.

The Wall Street Journal, citing Mexican and American officials, writes that Zambada was tricked into boarding the plane by one of the leaders of the Sinaloa drug cartel as part of an operation conducted by the FBI and the US Department of Homeland Security.

The head of the drug cartel, Joaquin Guzman, has been serving a life sentence in the United States since 2019. Last January, his second son, Ovidio “Mouse” Guzman, was arrested in Mexico. Following his arrest, riots broke out in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The danger of fentanyl is that even a small amount can lead to an overdose. This risk is especially great if fentanyl is mixed with any other substance.