The United States government has tripled its reward in hopes that someone will come forward and lead officials to fugitive Mexican drug lord Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada.
The Department of State announced Wednesday it was increasing its offer from $5million to $15million for information that would result in the apprehension and/or conviction of the Sinaloa Cartel co-founder.
The 73-year-old Zambada is accused of conspiracy to possess five kilos of cocaine and more then 1,000 kilos of marijuana; conspiracy to import five kilos of cocaine and over 1,000 kilos of marijuana; and conspiracy to posses firearms in drug trafficking crimes and aiding and abetting.
'(Zambada) is a long-time business partner of convicted Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín Guzmán-Loera, also known as 'El Chapo' and is charged in several U.S. indictments along with El Chapo and his sons,' Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said in a press release. 'The increase is commensurate with his leadership status in the Sinaloa Cartel.'
Zambada set up the powerful transnational drug trafficking organization with Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán.
The Department of State announced Wednesday it was increasing its reward from $5million to $15million for information that leads to the arrest and/or conviction of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, who co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel with Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán
Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán is serving a life sentence in the United States
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration's 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa Cartel along with rival Jalisco New Generation Cartel, were the top two providers of narcotics to the U.S.
The Sinaloa Cartel controlled Arizona- and California-area smuggling routes into the country. The cartel maintained a tight grip on the trafficking and sale of drugs across the United States, with a shocking influence in 24 states and Washington, D.C.
Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada is leading the Sinaloa Cartel while his former associate and cartel co-founder El Chapo serves a life sentence in a U.S. prison
The report found: 'The cartel employs gatekeepers assigned to Ports Of Entry and controls Arizona and California area smuggling corridors into the United States.'
Zambada has kept a low profile and has never been arrested.
In a 2018 interview with Mexican news magazine Proceso, Zambada admitted that the thought of being apprehended created a sense of 'panic, but he would not rule out killing himself if it meant avoiding doing time in jail.
'I don't know if I'd have the courage to kill myself,' he said. 'I'd like to think so, that I'd kill myself.'
When asked if he thought
