Ismael Zambada was kidnapped by 'El Chapo' Guzman's son so he could be arrested, according to his lawyer

Frank Pérez, lawyer for Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael El Mayo Zambada, assured that his client was not detained by U.S. authorities on July 26, but rather was abducted "by force" by Joaquín Guzmán López, son of drug trafficker Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán, who was also detained that same day.

"Joaquín Guzmán López forcibly kidnapped my client. He was ambushed, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed by six men in military uniforms and Joaquin. His legs were tied, and a black bag was placed over his head," the lawyer wrote in a statement sent to CNN.

Perez gave more details about the ambush committed against Zambada: "He was then thrown into the back of a pickup truck and taken to a landing strip. There, he was forced onto a plane, his legs tied to the seat by Joaquin, and brought to the US against his will. The only people on the plane were the pilot, Joaquín and my client."

Guzman Lopez allegedly deceived Zambada by telling him they were going to see some properties in northern Mexico to purchase them. However, the plane landed at an airport in El Paso, Texas, and it was there that the Sinaloa cartel leader was arrested.

Perez's statement is somewhat consistent with that of the authorities involved in the operation, who claimed that El Chapo's son set up the Sinaloa Cartel leader so that he could be arrested on U.S. soil.

For decades, Zambada was one of the most wanted international criminals in the United States. His name appears up to five times in court cases opened between 2003 and 2016, all of them related to marijuana and cocaine trafficking. Also for fentanyl, this being the primary reason why, in recent years, the search was intensified.