Two of the leading figures of the deadly drug trafficking organization, the Sinaloa cartel, were arrested in Texas on Thursday, the United States Justice Department said.

"Ismael Zambada Garcia, or 'El Mayo,' co-founder of the Cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of its other co-founder, were arrested today in El Paso, Texas," US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

Zambada, who was believed to have been behind much of the day-to-day business of drug trafficking, had been one of the leaders of the cartel since the 1970s.

He pleaded not guilty and waived his right to appear personally in a US court on Friday.

Mexican authorities not involved in arrest

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador hailed the arrests on Friday but said his country played no part in the operation.

"The government of Mexico did not take part in this arrest or surrender," state security chief Rosa Icela Rodriquez added.

Obrador said he expected a "complete report" from US authorities on how the men were taken into custody. "There must be transparency," he said.

The outgoing Mexican president said work must continue to prevent others who could fill the vacuum after the arrests.

Who are the Sinaloa cartel?

Garland called the cartel, which originated in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, "one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world."

They are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, both through their turf wars and conflicts with Mexican authorities, as well as the deaths connected to the drugs, such as fentanyl, that they smuggled primarily into the US.

More than 450,000 people have been killed since the Mexican government launched a military campaign against the drug gangs in 2006.

In the US, more than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2023, about 70% of which were traced back to fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced," Garland added in his statement. "The Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable."

Another suspected drug trafficker in chains

Thursday's arrests are the most recent blow to the Sinaloa cartel. In 2019, the group's leader and founder Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was convicted for running what was believed to be the world's largest drug syndicate.

The 76-year-old Zambada, who preferred to keep a lower profile than his boss, is believed to have never served time in prison.

US authorities have been after him for decades. In February, a district court in New York charged Zambada with conspiring to produce and distribute fentanyl. Prosecutors also said that he was running the cartel.

A reward of $15 million (€13.8 million) had been offered for any information leading to Zambada's arrest.

zc, ab/sri (AFP, AP)