Two drug cartel leaders arrested after plane fraud

According to the Washington Post, the United States has arrested two leaders of one of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels after one of them apparently tricked the other into boarding a private plane to the United States.

Authorities said they had nabbed Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who is believed to have founded the Sinaloa Cartel along with famed leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera (already in U.S. custody). They also arrested El Chapo’s son, Joaquín Guzmán López.

The Sinaloa Cartel is considered the largest supplier of fentanyl in the United States and is responsible for building up the fentanyl trade.

Here’s what we know about the arrests:

• Both men boarded a private plane in Mexico. Guzmán López brought Zambada on board under the pretense of looking at investment properties. The plane was actually headed to the United States. Guzmán had worked with U.S. authorities to turn himself and Zambada in.
• The Mexican authorities only learned of the secret operation when the two were already in custody.

Zoom out: The arrests are part of a US crackdown on fentanyl as the addiction epidemic rages. But experts say they are unlikely to have an impact on the flow of the drug into the country: many other unknown actors continue to hold the reins of the booming drug trade.—CC