A special operation coordinated by Mexico's Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection and the National Guard secured the arrest of Mauro Alejandro "N," the pilot that allegedly helped "Los Chapitos" transport Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada against his will to the U.S., where he was later arrested.
According to reports from local media, the operation took place during the early hours of Feb. 8 in the neighborhood of Jesús María, located in southern Culiacán. Mexico's top security official Omar García Harfuch took on his X social media account to announce the capture of the pilot also known as "El Jando."
Esta madrugada, tras un enfrentamiento ocurrido en Sinaloa, efectivos de @SEDENAmx y @GN_MEXICO_ detuvieron a Mauro “N”, piloto aviador y operador importante en la estructura de una célula delictiva generadora de violencia en la entidad. Identificado como hombre de confianza del… pic.twitter.com/FlEWVEldLD
— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) February 8, 2025
Harfuch labelled El Jando as an important member for Los Chapitos as well as a close ally of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar and other sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
"This person has been linked to violent attacks against law enforcement and with trafficking drugs into the U.S.," Harfuch said. "We praise the courage and the commitment shown by members of the Mexican Army, and we send our condolences to the family of the soldier that lost his life during the operation," he added.
According to Infobae Mexico, El Jando was arrested at around 5:30 a.m. on Feb. 8. Military personnel that was doing surveillance patrols around Jesús María were attacked by a group of armed men that protected El Jando and his criminal cell.
Who is El Jando?
Authorities confirmed that El Jando was a significant operator for Los Chapitos and a close ally of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, the leader of the Sinaloa cartel faction.
He began his criminal career when he was about 20 years old, starting as a pilot for the Sinaloa cartel under a man known as "El 300," who allegedly taught him how to land on clandestine airstrips in Chiapas and Sinaloa.
Authorities believe he is responsible for explosive attacks against law enforcement in Durango in October and November of 2024.
El Jando also played a key role in the attacks of January 5 of 2023, when Ovidio Guzmán López was arrested in the same neighborhood as he was two years later. According to data from Mexican officials, 10 Army soldiers died that day, along with 35 more injured.
El Jando was the pilot that flew El Mayo to the U.S.
Although it has not been officially announced by authorities, they allege El Jando was the pilot in charge of flying the small plane that transported El Mayo to a New Mexico airport so he could be captured by U.S. officials.
"The only thing that is clear so far is that El Jando played a key role in El Mayo's capture, and he knows all the secrets behind the operation that American officials have not shared with their Mexican counterparts," sources told Milenio.
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