FBI Arrests Mexican Drug Lord, El Chapo's Son in Texas

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The Facts

  • US federal agents arrested the leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of his jailed ex-partner, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzman, in Texas on Thursday.

  • Zambada and Lopez face multiple charges for allegedly running the cartel's operations, including "its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks."


The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

The US authorities have dealt another major blow to one of Mexico's most powerful drug cartels after previously arresting "El Chapo" along with another of his sons and other associates. The hunt for the Sinaloa cartel's drug kingpins proves that the US is stepping up its fight against the fentanyl crisis, which led to an increase in overdoses at home, with all its might. To protect the American Youth, the dismantling of fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks must continue with undiminished determination.

Establishment-critical narrative

The US is claiming another strike against the Sinaloa cartel, but this only addresses a symptom, not the cause, of the US drug crisis, which stems from corruption within US society and the growing levels of poverty. Added to this is Big Pharma, putting profits before the health of US citizens, while fentanyl and other drugs claim even more victims. That Washington prefers to wage an endless war against the drug cartels rather than tackle the structural causes of the opioid crisis does not bode well for the future.


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