‘El Mayo’ Zambada, a leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, arrested by US authorities

WASHINGTON - Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of notorious drug kingpin "El Chapo," were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas, the U.S. Justice Department confirmed on Thursday.

Zambada got on an airplane to the U.S. believing he was going somewhere else, said the official, who spoke on the condition on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. The official did not provide additional details, including who persuaded Zambada to get on the plane or where exactly he thought he was going.

Upon arriving in the El Paso area, Zambada and López, were immediately taken into custody by U.S. authorities, officials told the Associated Press.

The AP reported Zambada appeared in federal court in El Paso Friday morning and has entered a plea of not guilty to multiple drug trafficking charges, according to court records. 

Frank Perez, a lawyer listed for Zambada, did not immediately respond to an email from the AP for comment Friday.

Zambada, one of the most powerful drug lords in the world, has been a key target for the U.S. government for years in its bid to take down leaders of the Sinaloa cartel that's responsible for trafficking huge sums of drugs across the border. U.S. authorities had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his capture.

His arrest "strikes at the heart of the cartel that is responsible for the majority of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, killing Americans from coast to coast," said U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration chief Anne Milgram.

"Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable," the statement continued.

Side-by-side image of wanted posters shared by the Department of State. Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada (L) and Joaquín Guzmán López (R). (Credit: Department of State) 

Zambada and Guzmán López oversaw the trafficking of "tens of thousands of pounds of drugs into the United States, along with related violence," FBI Director Christopher Wray said, adding that now they will "face justice in the United States."

U.S. officials have been seeking Zambada’s capture for years, and he has been charged in a number of U.S. cases. He was charged in February in the Eastern District of New York with conspiring to manufacture and distribute the synthetic opioid. Prosecutors said he was continuing to lead the Sinaloa cartel, "one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world."

Zambada is charged in a number of U.S. cases, including in New York and California. Prosecutors brought a new indictment against him in New York in February, describing him as the "principal leader of the criminal enterprise responsible for importing enormous quantities of narcotics into the United States."

According to the AP, Zambada was considered the cartel's strategist, more involved in day-to-day operations than his flashier and better-known boss, "El Chapo."

While Zambada has fought those who challenged him, he is known for concentrating on the business side of trafficking and avoiding gruesome cartel violence that would draw attention.

In an April 2010 interview with the Mexican magazine Proceso, he acknowledged that he lived in fear of going to prison and would contemplate suicide rather than be captured.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.