Netflix announces docuseries ‘The Fall of El Mayo’ about Ismael Zambada

Netflix has released the trailer for ‘The Fall of El Mayo’, a three-part documentary series scheduled to premiere on October 29, 2026. Directed by Darren Foster and Miguel Fernández Flores, the production reconstructs the controversial July 25, 2024, arrest of Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada García, a co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The series investigates the circumstances surrounding Zambada’s arrival at a small airport in New Mexico aboard a private aircraft alongside Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán. The documentary seeks to determine whether the event was a kidnapping, a betrayal, or a coordinated secret operation.

Utilizing exclusive testimonies, unseen archival footage, and hundreds of judicial records from both Mexico and the United States, the filmmakers explore the internal fractures within the Sinaloa Cartel—specifically between the ‘La Mayiza’ and ‘Los Chapitos’ factions—and the broader impact on U.S.-Mexico relations and regional security.