FBI Leads Capture of Sinaloa Cartel Leader “El Mayo” Zambada

On July 25, 2024 the Federal Bureau of Investigation headed a covert operation dubbed “Air Kings,” coordinated with the DEA, that arrested Sinaloa Cartel boss Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and his associate Joaquín Guzmán López at Santa Teresa Airport in New Mexico. The raid was carried out without the knowledge of the Mexican government and marked the end of Zambada’s four‑decade reign.

The FBI disclosed that the traffickers were flown in a Beechcraft King Air 200 whose serial numbers and registration had been altered to evade detection. Structural and electronic modifications were found throughout the aircraft, which the agency later donated to the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa for at least two years of exhibition. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a cabinet review of the operation’s details.

Both men have pleaded guilty to drug‑trafficking charges and await sentencing hearings scheduled for July 20 and August 31, 2024.