‘El Chapo’: The Mastermind Behind ‘El Mayo’s’ Kidnapping

The strategy was this: if Joaquín turned himself in to secure Ovidio’s release, both could avoid spending the rest of their lives in prison

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Around a year ago—though the exact date is unclear—the notorious drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán was permitted to send a letter to Mexico via his lawyers. The letter was addressed to his oldest son with Griselda López, Joaquín Guzmán López.

In the letter, according to two sources from the U.S. federal government and two others from the Zambada family, "El Chapo" gave an unusual directive: "You already know who the targets are. You know what to do."

The letter was an indication of a plot to kidnap his compadre, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, to deliver him to U.S. authorities and thereby negotiate certain benefits for his other son, Ovidio Guzmán López.

Of the two sons of "El Chapo," Joaquín Guzmán López faces fewer charges in the United States and could possibly be released sooner. This, "El Chapo" understood, and sought to leverage that fact, according to consulted sources.

The strategy, as outlined by sources, was this: if Joaquín turned himself in to secure Ovidio’s release, both could avoid spending the rest of their lives in prison. But to achieve this, Joaquín needed to hand over someone of substantial value to the United States—who better than his own compadre, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada?

"El Chapo" reached out to Joaquín not with a letter full of greetings, but with instructions for his next steps: contact U.S. agencies, plan his surrender, trap "El Mayo," and secure Ovidio’s freedom.

The trap ensnaring the elusive drug trafficker Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada was orchestrated by "El Chapo" and executed by the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Two sources from a U.S. federal agency recounted this to SAGA on a September afternoon in an Arizona hotel.

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