A two-page letter from Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada has rocked Sinaloa’s political landscape and thrown into question the official account of his arrest in the United States. In the letter, Zambada claims he was meeting with Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on the day of his arrest, shedding light on a potential deal between him and U.S. authorities. Zambada claims the Sinaloa Cartel was going to settle a conflict at a university and that one of his bodyguards was a commander in the state Judicial Police. This has sparked controversy over organized crime’s influence in Mexico’s public affairs.
Rocha denied Zambada’s claims and stated he was not in Sinaloa on the day of the arrest, pointing to flight logs that show he left for the United States two hours before the scheduled meeting. The U.S. Embassy later confirmed Zambada was taken against his will to U.S. territory, refuting claims of an extraterritorial operation on Mexican soil. The Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office is investigating Zambada’s claims and Cuén’s murder, maintaining that the theft of a pickup truck was the main motive for the crime.
Zambada’s letter has reignited the controversy over Genaro García Luna, Felipe Calderón’s drug czar, and López Obrador’s political adversary, who was convicted last year for collaborating with the Sinaloa Cartel. The letter has turned into a media trial for Rocha, Cuén, and Zambada, with the fate of Zambada’s claims lying in the hands of the U.S. justice system. The letter serves as a reminder to both governments that Zambada understands the game and knows how to play it.
Overall, Zambada’s letter has brought to light potential deals between cartels and authorities, stirring up political turmoil in Sinaloa and raising questions about the influence of organized crime on Mexico’s public affairs.
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