The arrests of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, son of "El Chapo" Guzmán, have created tension in the bilateral relationship between Mexico and the United States. Mexican officials have demanded U.S. counterparts release information available related to the arrests, but while Washington claims all knowledge has been shared, the Claudia Sheinbaum claims that is not the case.
Since Zambada's capture in July, both governments have gone back and forth over conflicting narratives surrounding the incident.
In late October, Mexico's Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar exchanged statements in regards to the former's claims that Mexico is still waiting on information that led to Zambada's arrest, such as the identity of the pilot who flew him from Mexico, its arrival in the U.S., and which American officials knew of Joaquín Guzmán López's plans to turn himself in and betray his godfather Zambada.
The case of Zambada's arrest might be taking another unexpected turn in the near future, with Sheinbaum saying that U.S. officials are yet to notify her of a possible plea deal that two of "El Chapo's" sons might have struck with the American government.
Guzmán López and Ovidio Guzmán Salazar are being currently held at U.S. prisons, and despite insistence from former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador before he left office, no advancements have been made in relation to updates pertaining their legal cases.
In October, the Guzmán family's attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, revealed during the initial hearing of Ovidio Guzmán that the two sons of "El Chapo" were considering a plea deal with the U.S. justice system in exchange of reduced sentences.
But according to Sheinbaum, Mexican officials are still waiting for an update on their plea deals. "There is no update, we are still waiting," she said during a press conference.
"We believe that the letter that was sent by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has not been adequately responded to, but it is important that we all know that Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico's Foreign Secretary, has constantly met with the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico," Sheinbaum added.
Sheinbaum criticized the operation that led to Zambada's arrest last week, arguing it has contributed to the waves of violence the state of Sinaloa has experienced in recent weeks.
"From there, the violence in Sinaloa was set loose. The least all Mexicans can demand is to know 'What happened?, how did the capture take place?, why are individuals detained and extradited being released?'" she said. "That is it...all the information needs to be released," Sheinbaum added.
Hesitancy from U.S. officials
One of the reasons why the American government might be hesitant to release all information surrounding Zambada's and "Los Chapitos" arrests might be linked to their distrust with Mexican officials, as high-profile members of the Mexican government have been linked to criminal organizations.
Also in late October, federal prosecutors in Mexico accused police officers, forensic examiners, and state prosecutors in Sinaloa of conspiring to cover up the killing of Héctor Cuén, a political opponent of Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya. Officials alleged that Sinaloa authorities manipulated evidence for that purpose, including a blood-stained truck found at the crime scene, to misrepresent the scene of Cuén's death.
The events surrounding Cuén's death are seemingly intertwined with the abduction of Zambada, the co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel. Zambada claimed in a letter that he was lured to a meeting by Guzmán López, in an effort to mediate political tensions between Rocha and Cuén. Zambada alleges he was kidnapped at the same ranch where Cuén was killed and later turned over to U.S. authorities.
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