Mexico Cartel Strategic Note No. 36: Ismael Zambada García and Joaquín Guzmán López Arrested in Texas

Mexico Cartel Strategic Note No. 36: Ismael Zambada García and Joaquín Guzmán López Arrested in Texas

Daniel Weisz Argomedo, John P. Sullivan, and Robert J. Bunker

On Thursday, 25 July 2024, American law enforcement officials arrested Ismael, ‘El Mayo,’ Zambada García and Joaquín Guzmán López in El Paso, Texas. The two men are prominent leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and were detained in a private airfield. Both suspects, and their criminal cartel are allegedly linked to drug trafficking—especially trade in fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Joaquín Guzmán López is the son of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, known as ‘El Chapo’ and is said to have taken up a leadership role along with his three other brothers after their father's arrest. ‘El Mayo‘ Zambada (aka MZ), on the other hand, has been involved in organized crime since the 1980s, working alongside Rafael Caro Quintero and Miguel Angel Félix Gallardo. He would also work alongside Amado Carrillo Fuentes and would outlast many of his colleagues, including Beltrán Leyva, ‘El Chapo’ and many more. He was known for keeping a low profile and was able to evade capture by the authorities for decades and an assassination attempt by rival factions within the Sinaloa Cartel. Both men are facing multiple charges for leading the Sinaloa Cartel’s criminal operations, including the trafficking and manufacturing of fentanyl. Multiple news sources state that Zambada was tricked by Guzmán, who convinced Zambada to get into a private plane to look at some clandestine airfields by the Mexican border but was instead led to an airfield in El Paso, Texas, where Federal forces awaited his arrival.[1]

Wanted Poster for ‘El Mayo’ Zambada (US Department of State)

Wanted Poster for ‘El Mayo’ Zambada (US Department of State)

Key Information: Keegan Hamilton and Kate Linthicum, “Mexican drug kingpin, captured in El Paso with the son of ‘El Chapo,’ pleads not guilty.” Los Angeles Times. 25 July 2024,  https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-07-25/u-s-officials-arrest-el-mayo-leader-of-the-sinaloa-cartel-in:

MEXICO CITY —  Two of Mexico’s most powerful drug traffickers — one a longtime partner of the Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the other his son — were taken into U.S. custody on Thursday afternoon, a pair of arrests likely to upend the world of international drug trafficking…

Zambada, 76, faces federal indictments in multiple districts across the United States on charges of trafficking tons of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and other drugs across the border.

For decades he was business partners with “El Chapo” Guzmán, who is serving a life sentence after a 2019 conviction for his leadership role in the Sinaloa cartel alongside Zambada.

Guzmán López, 38, was elevated within the cartel hierarchy after his father was arrested…

After [‘El Chapo’] Guzmán’s arrest, a violent power struggle broke out, with the former kingpin’s sons, who are known as the “Chapitos,” vying with Zambada for control of the Sinaloa cartel.

The Chapitos faced a setback last year when one of Guzmán’s sons, Ovidio, was captured by Mexican authorities and sent to the United States, where he faces drug-trafficking and money-laundering charges.

Guzmán’s arrest followed a notorious 2019 incident in which he was briefly detained at a home in the northern Mexican city of Culiacan, but was later released after cartel gunmen flooded the city and held civilians hostage. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ordered Guzmán released to avoid more bloodshed.

Three of Zambada’s sons have been prosecuted in the United States, along with his brother, Jesús “El Rey” Zambada, who pleaded guilty to federal drug-trafficking charges and delivered damning testimony against Guzmán during Guzmán’s trial. Testifying as a cooperating witness, he described how his brother and Guzmán formed the Sinaloa cartel and together grew the organization.

Key Information: “Trasciende detención del Mayo Zambada en Texas.” Zeta. 25 July 2024, https://zetatijuana.com/2024/07/trasciende-detencion-del-mayo-zambada-en-texas/:

Funcionarios del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos, informaron a ZETA, pasadas las 2 de la tarde de este 25 de julio de 2024, que Ismael Zambada García, el Mayo, había sido detenido en El Paso, Texas, Estados Unidos.

La aprehensión habría sido en uno de los aeropuertos privados de la ciudad fronteriza de El Paso; sin proporcionar mayor información, comentaron que en estos momentos se procesa al capo mexicano líder del cártel de Sinaloa, y que la captura ha sido una sorpresa para las autoridades norteamericanas; sin embargo, ha trascendido de operativos especiales que se realizaron en aquel estado a partir de esta semana.

Zambada García es uno de los capos de los cárteles mexicanos más buscados por la Unión Americana, la Agencia Antinarcóticos de aquel país y el Departamento de Estado, ofrecen una recompensa de 20 millones de dólares a quien proporcione información que lleve a la captura del sinaloense.[2]

Key Information: Andrés Martínez “¿Traición de Los Chapitos? El ‘Mayo’ Zambada habría sido engañado para viajar a Texas y ser arrestado al aterrizar, reportan medios de EEUU.” Infobae. 25 July 2024, https://www.infobae.com/mexico/2024/07/26/traicion-de-los-chapitos-el-mayo-zambada-habria-sido-enganado-para-viajar-a-texas-y-ser-arrestado-al-aterrizar-reportan-medios-de-eeuu/:

Zambada creyó que iba a inspeccionar supuestas pistas clandestinas en México, pero en lugar de eso voló a Texas. En esta operación, que según el WSJ duró dos meses, estuvieron involucrados el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional y del Buró Federal de Investigaciones (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés).

Ismael Zambada García, o “El Mayo”, cofundador del Cártel, y Joaquín Guzmán López, hijo de su otro cofundador, fueron arrestados hoy en El Paso, Texas, informaron las autoridades de los Estados Unidos en donde confirmaron la captura de los narcotraficantes.

Las reacciones de las distintas versiones no se hicieron esperar por parte de funcionarios estadounidenses, el Secretario de Seguridad Nacional, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, mencionó que “el Cártel de Sinaloa fue pionero en la fabricación de fentanilo y durante años lo ha traficado a nuestro país, matando a cientos de miles de estadounidenses y devastando innumerables comunidades.[3]

Key Information: Alan Feuer and Natalie Kitroeff, “Two Top Mexican cartel Leaders Are Arrested by U.S. Authorities.” New York Times. 25 July 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/25/world/americas/mexico-cartel-ismael-zambada-garcia-joaquin-guzman-lopez.html:

Thursday, he was unaware he was headed to the United States when he boarded a private airplane with Mr. Guzmán López, who told him they were going to look at some real estate properties, according to two American law enforcement officials who were briefed on the situation. 

Mr. Zambada García has long had a kind of surrogate paternal relationship with Joaquin and Ovidio Guzmán López, the two younger sons of El Chapo. Joaquin Guzmán López was seeking to help Ovidio, who was already in U.S. custody, when he invited Mr. Zambada García onto the plane, the officials said.

Falko Ernst, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said it was unlikely that the arrests would have a major impact on the smuggling of fentanyl or other drugs from Mexico, since the Sinaloa Cartel was a deeply decentralized organization already.

“We aren’t talking about a structure that depends on a few kingpins — it’s very diffuse and resilient to these kinds of hits,” Mr. Ernst said. If anything, he said, the move could spark more violence as factions vie for control amid a vacuum of power at the very top. 

“There’s already a bunch of pressure on that structure and there has been a lot of infighting,” Mr. Ernst said. “So we’re definitely facing a scenario of greater violence, potentially.”

Key Information: Drazen Jorgic, “U.S. arrests Mexican drug lord ‘El Mayo’ and El Chapo’s son in Texas.” Reuters. 25 July 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexican-drug-lord-el-mayo-is-us-custody-sources-say-2024-07-25/:

Both Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of El Chapo, face multiple charges in the U.S. for funneling huge quantities of drugs to U.S. streets, including fentanyl, which has surged to become the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.

Zambada, who is believed to be in his 70s, and Guzman Lopez, who is in his 30s, were detained after landing in a private plane in the El Paso area, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

Zambada and Guzman Lopez face multiple charges in the U.S. “for heading the Cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

The arrest of Guzman Lopez was first reported by Reuters, ahead of the Justice Department statement where it was confirmed they were detained in El Paso.

One worker at the Santa Teresa airport, near El Paso, on Thursday afternoon told Reuters that he saw a Beechcraft King Air land on the runway, where federal agents were already waiting.

Key Information: Ángel Hernández, “Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada fue capturado tras ser engañado para volar a Texas, asegura WSJ.” Milenio. 25 July 2024, https://www.milenio.com/policia/el-mayo-zambada-fue-llevado-a-texas-con-enganos-para-ser-detenido:

Fuentes de seguridad de Estados Unidos explicaron que Joaquín Guzmán López decidió entregarse a las autoridades estadunidenses como parte de un acuerdo de rendición, pero que aprovechó además para entregar a ‘El Mayo’ Zambada.

Ambos fueron detenidos cuando aterrizaban en un aeródromo privado de jets en El Paso Texas, tras llegar en un vuelo privado. Así cayó el histórico fundador del cártel de Sinaloa. Según una fuente cercana al caso, El ‘Mayo’ Zambada ni siquiera sabía que volaría a Estados Unidos.

El Mayo Zambada cuenta con cinco acusaciones federales en Estados Unidos. Una de ellas en Nueva York, donde se le acusa de crimen organizado, tráfico de cocaína, mariguana, heroína, metanfetamina y fentanilo y uso de armas de fuego. En esa causa se señala cómo ‘El Mayo’ ayudó a fundar la Federación de Sinaloa en la década de los 80, para que a inicio de los dos mil se fundara el Cártel de Sinaloa con Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán.[4]

Analysis

While the ultimate fallout of the arrests of these two Cártel de Sinaloa (CDS) leaders remains to be seen, it is likely that it will result in a reconfiguration of both internal CDS structures and the relative balance of power between the CDS and the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The arrest of both Guzmán and Zambada may pose an increase in violence in Sinaloa as the Zambada and Chapitos factions continue to wrestle for dominance in the area. The arrest is a public victory for US law enforcement and Department of Justice that have been seeking to deal a significant blow to the fentanyl trade and its manufacture.[5]

Leaked photo of ‘El Mayo’ Post-Arrest (Social Media)

The 25 July 2024 US Attorney General’s statement follows:

The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the arrests of alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael Zambada García (El Mayo) and Joaquin Guzman Lopez:

“The Justice Department has taken into custody two additional alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. Ismael Zambada Garcia, or “El Mayo,” cofounder of the Cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of its other cofounder, were arrested today in El Paso, Texas.

Both men are facing multiple charges in the United States for leading the Cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks.

El Mayo and Guzman Lopez join a growing list of Sinaloa Cartel leaders and associates who the Justice Department is holding accountable in the United States. That includes the Cartel’s other cofounder, Joaquin Guzman Loera, or “El Chapo”; another of El Chapo’s sons and an alleged Cartel leader, Ovidio Guzman Lopez; and the Cartel’s alleged lead sicario, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, or “El Nini.”

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.”[6]

According to Administrator Anne Milgram:

“The arrest of Ismael Zambada García, better known as ‘El Mayo,’ one of the alleged founders and leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, 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. El Mayo is one of DEA’s most wanted fugitives and he is in custody tonight and will soon face justice in a U.S. court of law.  Joaquin Guzman Lopez, another alleged leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, and the son of ‘El Chapo,’ was also arrested today - his arrest is another enormous blow to the Sinaloa Cartel.  In 2017, he and his brothers, the Chapitos, allegedly took control of the Sinaloa Cartel after El Chapo was extradited to the United States. DEA will continue to seek justice for any American life that is lost and will work tirelessly to prevent more needless deaths and pursue those that are responsible”[7]

The arrests are unlikely to disrupt the manufacture and trade of fentanyl to the United States as the Sinaloa Cartel is a complex and diversified organization that is not dependent on any single figurehead. Indeed, while ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán was long considered the public face of the Cártel de Sinaloa, the organizational structure was more complex, for example, according to an assessment in Proceso:

Although when talking about the Sinaloa Cartel one immediately thinks of El Chapo Guzmán, it is Ismael Zambada Garcia, El Mayo, the strategist of the drug trafficking group that a US intelligence study describes as “dominant” in Mexico. Another analysis, by a Mexican author, refers not only to El Mayo’s masters and his great capacity for infiltration and corruption in the institutions that seek him, but also to the alleged partnership he has maintained for years with one of the PRI’s pre-candidates for the Sinaloa state government, the licensed mayor of Culiacán, Jesus Vizcarra Calderon.[8]

The arrests will allow the Justice Department to continue to hold a growing number of Sinaloa Cartel leaders accountable by bringing them to trial in the United States. The prevalent usage of the American justice system to bring Mexican cartel leaders to justice places a spotlight on the Mexican justice system and its inability to deal with the current high level of crime. In Mexico, around 98 percent of crime goes unpunished, which has led to high levels of impunity.[9] The continued reliance on the American justice system will only continue to undermine the Mexican justice system, which is in need of reform.

Future trajectories for the Cártel de Sinaloa (CDS) stemming from this incident—which has now pretty much decimated the last remnants of its traditional legacy (via ‘El Mayo) and familial successor (via Guzmán Lopez) power structure—are presently unknown. However, the following second order effects from what amounts to ‘kingpin targeting’ must now be considered:

• Internally, CDS had already become increasingly factional for some years now with four main groups sharing influence and vying for power; ‘El Mayo’s,’ ‘Los Chapitos,’ Aureliano ‘El Guano’ Guzmán’s, and Rafael Caro Quintero’s (Caborca Cartel).[10] The question is how will these arrests which have severely weakened the first two groups influence CDS going forward. Will new power sharing agreements develop or could some of these factions implode with the lower rung lieutenants making power plays as we have seen with past Los Zetas and Cártel del Golfo fragmentation.

• The main strategic competitor with CDS—both inside Mexico and externally across other regions of Latin America and beyond—is the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The question is if disruption, possible further fragmentation, and infighting potentials stemming from these arrests will provide CJNG with new power and market projection opportunities. CDS gang allies in Ecuador (such as Los Choneros) could even conceivably suffer as CJNG gang allies (such as Los Tiguerones and others) benefit from the disruptive fall out due to this incident.   

• The other cartels operating in Mexico are literally second tier organizations compared to CDS (and CJNG). While no expectation presently exists than they may move on CDS turf and markets—even those controlled by the ‘El Mayo’ and ‘Los Chapitos’—new intercartel alliances, tensions, and even powerplays may develop stemming from these arrests.

Finally, ‘El Mayo’ and ‘Los Chapitos’ (leveraging their father’s legacy connections) have long term alliances and arrangements with corrupt governmental officials across municipal, state, and federal levels. One such alleged alliance is said to be between ‘El Mayo’ and the mayor of Culiacán—mentioned earlier in this note.[11] With the loss of these CDS kingpins pre-existing criminal and corrupt official alliances may be imperiled with new ones emerging which may possibly redraw the illicit power landscape.

Sources

Alan Feuer and Natalie Kitroeff, “Two Top Mexican cartel Leaders Are Arrested by U.S. Authorities.” New York Times. 25 July 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/25/world/americas/mexico-cartel-ismael-zambada-garcia-joaquin-guzman-lopez.html. 

Keegan Hamilton and Kate Linthicum, “Mexican drug kingpin, captured in El Paso with the son of ‘El Chapo,’ pleads not guilty.” Los Angeles Times. 25 July 2024, https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-07-25/u-s-officials-arrest-el-mayo-leader-of-the-sinaloa-cartel-in

Ángel Hernández, “Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada fue capturado tras ser engañado para volar a Texas, asegura WSJ.” Milenio. 25 July 2024, https://www.milenio.com/policia/el-mayo-zambada-fue-llevado-a-texas-con-enganos-para-ser-detenido.

Drazen Jorgic, “U.S. arrests Mexican drug lord 'El Mayo' and El Chapo's son in Texas.” Reuters. 25 July 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexican-drug-lord-el-mayo-is-us-custody-sources-say-2024-07-25/.

Andrés Martínez “¿Traición de Los Chapitos? El ‘Mayo’ Zambada habría sido engañado para viajar a Texas y ser arrestado al aterrizar, reportan medios de EEUU.” Infobae. 25 July 2024, https://www.infobae.com/mexico/2024/07/26/traicion-de-los-chapitos-el-mayo-zambada-habria-sido-enganado-para-viajar-a-texas-y-ser-arrestado-al-aterrizar-reportan-medios-de-eeuu/.

“Trasciende detención del Mayo Zambada en Texas.” Zeta. 25 July 2024, https://zetatijuana.com/2024/07/trasciende-detencion-del-mayo-zambada-en-texas/.

Endnotes

[1] Steve Fisher and José de Córdoba, “Mexican Drug Lord Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada Arrested in U.S.” Wall Street Journal. 25 July 2024, https://www.wsj.com/us-news/mexican-drug-lord-ismael-el-mayo-zambada-arrested-in-u-s-156e8450https://www.wsj.com/us-news/mexican-drug-lord-ismael-el-mayo-zambada-arrested-in-u-s-156e8450; “Andrés Martínez, “¿Traición de Los Chapitos? El “Mayo” Zambada habría sido engañado para viajar a Texas y ser arrestado al aterrizar, reportan medios de EEUU.” Infobae. 25 July 2024, https://www.infobae.com/mexico/2024/07/26/traicion-de-los-chapitos-el-mayo-zambada-habria-sido-enganado-para-viajar-a-texas-y-ser-arrestado-al-aterrizar-reportan-medios-de-eeuu/.

[2] In English, the title reads: “Mayo Zambada's Arrest in Texas Reported.” The text reads: “Officials from the U.S. State Department informed ZETA just after 2:00 p.m. on 25 July 2024, that Ismael Zambada García, El Mayo, had been arrested in El Paso, Texas, United States. […] The apprehension was reportedly made at one of the private airports in the border city of El Paso; without providing further information, they commented that the Mexican drug lord and leader of the Sinaloa cartel is currently being processed, and that the capture has been a surprise for the U.S. authorities; however, it has been reported that special operations were carried out in that state as of this week. […] Zambada García is one of the most wanted Mexican cartel bosses in the U.S. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the State Department are offering a 20 million dollar reward to anyone who provides information leading to his capture.”

[3] In English, the title reads: “Betrayal by the Chapitos? El ‘Mayo’ Zambada was tricked into flying to Texas where he was arrested, reports U.S. media.” The text reads: “Zambada believed he was going to inspect alleged clandestine runways in Mexico, but instead he was flown to Texas. In this operation, which according to the WSJ lasted two months, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were involved. […] Ismael Zambada García, or ‘El Mayo,’ co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López, son of the other co-founder, ‘were arrested today in El Paso, Texas,’ reported the United States authorities where they confirmed the capture of the drug traffickers. […] The Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, mentioned that ‘the Sinaloa Cartel was a pioneer in the manufacture of fentanyl and for years has trafficked it to our country, killing hundreds of thousands of Americans and devastating countless communities.’”

[4] In English, the title reads: “Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada was captured after being tricked into flying to Texas, WSJ says.” The text reads: “U.S. security sources stated that Joaquín Guzmán López decided to surrender to U.S. authorities as part of a surrender agreement, but that he also took advantage of the opportunity to hand over ‘El Mayo’ Zambada. Both men were arrested when they landed at a private jet airfield in El Paso, Texas, after arriving on a private flight. This is how the historic founder of the Sinaloa cartel fell. According to a source close to the case, El Mayo Zambada did not even know that he was flying to the United States. […] El Mayo Zambada has five federal charges in the United States. One of them in New York, where he is accused of organized crime, trafficking in cocaine, marijuana, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl and for the use of firearms. This case points out how ‘El Mayo’ helped found the Sinaloa Federation in the 1980s, that evolved in the 2000s into the Sinaloa Cartel that he founded with Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán.”

[5] “Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on Arrests of Alleged Leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel Ismael Zambada Garcia (El Mayo) and Joaquin Guzman Lopez.” Press Release. US Department of Justice. 25 July 2024, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-statement-arrests-alleged-leaders-sinaloa-cartel-ismael.

[6] Ibid.

[7] “Statement from DEA Administrator Milgram on the Arrests of Ismael Zambada Garcia and Joaquin Guzman Lopez.” DEA Administrator Remarks. US Drug Enforcement Addministration (DEA). 25 July 2024, https://www.dea.gov/documents/2024/2024-07/2024-07-25/statement-dea-administrator-milgram-arrests-ismael-zambada-garcia.

[8] Jorge Carrasco Arizaga, “El poder de ‘El Mayo’ [El Mayo’s Power].” Proceso. 26 July 2024, https://www.proceso.com.mx/nacional/2024/7/26/el-poder-de-el-mayo-333620.html. In the original text: “Aunque al hablar del cártel de Sinaloa se piensa de inmediato en El Chapo Guzmán, es Ismael Zambada García, El Mayo, el estratega del grupo de narcotráfico que un estudio de inteligencia estadunidense califica como el “dominante” en México. Otro análisis, de autoría mexicana, no sólo se refiere a los maestros de El Mayo y a su gran capacidad de infiltración y corrupción en las instituciones que lo buscan, sino también a la presunta sociedad que desde hace años mantiene con uno de los precandidatos del PRI al gobierno del estado de Sinaloa, el alcalde de Culiacán con licencia Jesús Vizcarra Calderón.”

[9] Daniel Weisz Argomedo, The Mexican War on Women. UC Irvine. ProQuest, 2023,  https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8vk0j5f7.

[10] Georgina Zerega, “Sinaloa Cartel: Four factions share the business of trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamines to the US.” El País International. 26 July 2024, https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-07-26/sinaloa-cartel-four-factions-share-the-business-of-trafficking-fentanyl-and-methamphetamines-to-the-us.html#.

[11] Op. Cit.,  Arizaga, “El poder de ‘El Mayo” at Note 8.

Key Words: Cártel de Sinaloa (CDS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada García, Joaquín Guzmán López, Kingpin Strategy

Additional Reading

Daniel Weisz Argomedo, John P. Sullivan, and Robert J. Bunker, “Mexican Cartel Strategic Note No. 35: Mexican Security Forces Arrest Ovidio Guzmán.” Small Wars Journal. 17 July 2023, https://smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/jrnl/art/mexican-cartel-strategic-note-no-35-mexican-security-forces-arrest-ovidio-guzman.

Vanda Felbab-Brown, “The Sinaloa cartel arrests: Stunning tactical success, strategic blunder?” Brookings. 26 July 2024, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-sinaloa-cartel-arrests-stunning-tactical-success-strategic-blunder/.

Daniel Weisz Argomedo, Nathan P. Jones, and John P. Sullivan, “Virtual Urban Siege: Modern Urban Siege and Swarming in Culiacán 2019 & 2023,” Journal of Strategic Security. Vol. 16, no. 3 (Fall 2023): pp. 30–52, https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.16.3.2172.

John P. Sullivan and Robert J. Bunker, Eds., The Rise of the Narcostate (Mafia States). A Small Wars Journal–El Centro Anthology. Bloomington: Xlibris, 2018.