One of the most nefarious figures in Mexico is now being detained in the United States. The Sinaloa Cartel leader says he was taken against his will.
As reported by Raw Story, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a reported high-ranking shotcaller for the crime syndicate was brought to U.S. soil last week. Since then, there has been much speculation about his extradition involving rumors he is cooperating with the government and that he turned himself in.
But he is denying those allegations via his lawyer. “I did not turn myself in, and I did not come voluntarily to the United States,” read the statement. “Nor did I have any agreement with either government. To the contrary, I was kidnapped and brought to the U.S. forcibly and against my will.”
Zambada would go on to allude to the reports that El Chapo’s son, Joaquín Guzmán, was also present at the sting. Guzmán apparently asked Zambada to follow him into a dark room to which he obliged.
“Trusting the nature of the meeting and the people involved, I followed without hesitation,” Ismeal says. “As soon as I set foot inside of that room, I was ambushed. A group of men assaulted me, knocked me to the ground, and placed a dark-colored hood over my head.” He then says he was handcuffed and placed in an unidentified vehicle.
Later in the statement, he went on to double down that he is not working with the United States government.
“The notion that I surrendered or cooperated voluntarily is completely and unequivocally false. I was brought to this country forcibly and under duress, without my consent and against my will.”
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada is expected to be transferred from Texas to New York this week. Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is currently serving a life sentence for drug trafficking. The Sinaloa Cartel is said to be one of the most powerful and violent criminal operations in the world.
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Photo: Getty
