Mexico confirms ‘El Jando’ was pilot who flew ‘El Mayo’ Zambada to US

Mexico’s Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) confirmed that Mauro Alberto Alvarez Núñez Ojeda, alias “El Jando”, was the pilot who transported drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López from Culiacán to New Mexico. He was captured on 8 February 2025 in Jesús María, Culiacán after a clash that killed a soldier and injured five others. In August 2025 he was extradited to the United States with 25 high‑risk criminals under the National Security Law, before his role was publicly known. In June 2026, FGR analysts matched his voice and fingerprints to the Beechcraft King Air 200 used for the July 2024 flight, confirming his involvement. The agency said the extradition does not close the investigation and that further judicial cooperation with the United States remains possible. President Claudia Sheinbaum said the FGR will provide more details, while critics note earlier statements by security secretary Omar García Harfuch in February 2025 indicated the authorities already knew his identity.