CNN —Alleged Sinaloa cartel cofounder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada appeared Thursday in federal court in Texas for his latest hearing since his arrest a week ago in an intrigue-packed case centered on one of the world’s most powerful and deadly drug trafficking organizations.
He was arrested the prior day in El Paso alongside Joaquín Guzmán López, the 38-year-old son of infamous cartel boss and founder Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
The scene outside the courthouse in El Paso showed a heavy security presence, with federal agents and bomb-sniffing dogs patrolling the perimeter.
Attorney Jeffrey Lichtman’s assertion raised new questions about why Guzmán López flew to Texas if he had no cooperation agreement with American authorities.
“Joaquín Guzmán López forcibly kidnapped my client,” attorney Frank Pérez said in a statement.
Persons:
Ismael “ El, Ismael “ El Mayo ” Zambada, Zambada, Joaquín Guzmán López, Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman, –, Anne Milgram, Guzmán López, Jeffrey Lichtman’s, “, Frank Pérez, Christopher Wray, “ Zambada Garcia, Ismael, El, Jose Luis Gonzalez, he’s, El Chapo, boss’s, Oseguera, Zambada’s, that’s, Guzmán, El Chapo’s, CNN’s Eric Levenson, Emma Tucker, Polo Sandoval, Evan Perez, Nicole Chavez, Cheri Mossburg, Christina Zdanowicz
Organizations:
CNN, Ismael “ El Mayo, US, DC, US Justice Department, Justice Department, Drug, US State Department, ” Police, Reuters, of, Zambada, Jalisco New, –, Congressional Research Service
Locations:
Sinaloa, Texas, El Paso, New York , California , Texas , Illinois, Washington, United States, Mexico, Chicago, Joaquín, Illinois, El Mayo, Eastern, of New York, Jalisco, Zambada