Two Mexican drug kingpins, including the son of notorious cartel boss El Chapo, have been arrested and are in US custody.

ABOUT THE DRUG KINGPINS

Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, the co-founder of the Sinaloa drug cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López surrendered to American law enforcement on Thursday.

Zambada, 76, founded the Sinaloa Cartel along with now-jailed drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, and faces a litany of indictments for crimes relating to drug trafficking and organized crime in the US.

Joaquín Guzmán Lopez is one of El Chapo’s sons and was elevated to the cartel’s top leadership in 2017 when his father was extradited to the US. 

The pair were arrested in El Paso, Texas, after getting off a private plane that was flown in from Mexico by the FBI.

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HOW ZAMBADA WAS ARRESTED

Zambada though the plane was headed south, farther into Mexico, to inspect a secret airfield for drug planes, but it actually went north to the US after Lopez double-crossed him, sources said.

Lopez cut a deal with American law enforcement to surrender and turn in Zambada at the same time, the sources said.

What prompted Lopez turn himself in after years as most-wanted, and to take Zambada down with him, is unclear.