The son of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman did not kidnap his father’s former partner, the family’s lawyer has said.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada were arrested last week by US agents after their plane landed at a small airfield in the US state of New Mexico.
Zambada co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel with El Chapo and is considered one of the most consequential drug traffickers in Mexico’s history.
A plane believed to have carried Zambada and Guzman Lopez in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Pic: Reuters
Reports suggested Guzman Lopez, 38, may have betrayed the 76-year-old to the United States.
But the Guzman family lawyer, Jose Luis Gonzalez, said “a kidnapping is out of the question”.
El Chapo’s son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez. Pic: US State Department
Asked whether Guzman Lopez may have duped Zambada, the lawyer told Radio Formula: “No, no. Los Chapitos abide by their father’s rules and they followed the usual policy.”
El Chapo’s four sons are known as “Los Chapitos” and inherited their father’s faction of the cartel.
Mr Gonzalez’s remarks contradict the account given by Zambada’s lawyer, Frank Perez, who accused Guzman Lopez of having “kidnapped” his client on Saturday.
Mr Perez said Guzman Lopez and six men in military uniforms ambushed Zambada near the Sinaloa state capital of Culiacan and forced him onto a plane to the US against his will.
The US government had offered a reward of up to $15m (£12m) for information leading to Zambada’s capture.
El Chapo pictured in New York in January 2017, shortly after his extradition to the US
Family lawyer claims pair’s surrender was voluntary
Both Guzman Lopez and Zambada have pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges in the US.
The Guzman family lawyer said the pair’s surrender was voluntary and came after around four years of negotiations with US authorities.
After the arrests, Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador issued a public appeal urging drug cartels not to fight each other.
Guzman Lopez’s brother, Ovidio, was arrested last year and extradited to the US. He has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges.