Deep Dive – Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, co-founder and leader of Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa Cartel I entered Following in the footsteps of Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of the cartel’s founder, he has pleaded not guilty to 17 drug trafficking charges, setting the stage for a high-profile legal battle this fall that could expose the depths of the cartel’s operations. Prosecutors and U.S. officials also hope the fight will deal a blow to the deadly, multibillion-dollar trade in fentanyl, which has been blamed for the deaths of at least 1 million Americans.
Lopez, 38, was arrested In late July, a law enforcement coup took place that caught the world’s attention because his father was Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, co-founder of Sinaloa. He was considered one of the world’s most dangerous criminals until his capture in 2016 (after escaping at least twice before that).
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