Mexican security forces killed 11 members of a notorious Sinaloa Cartel faction and briefly detained a woman during an early morning raid on Thursday. The apparent target of the operation was the daughter of drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who is currently in prison in the United States. Now, the Security Cabinet is facing questions about why Mónica Zambada Niebla — who has been sanctioned by the U.S. government on drug-related charges — was released.
Federal forces carried out coordinated actions Thursday in rural areas surrounding Culiacán, all targeting the “Los Mayos” faction of the Sinaloa cartel. The operation resulted in the detention of Zambada Niebla in the town of El Álamo, and Omar Oswaldo Torres Cabada, alias “El Patas,” in the nearby town of Valle Escondido.
Shortly after Marines captured Zambada Niebla, a shootout occurred during which 11 members of the crime gang were slain. Torres Cabada was apprehended soon thereafter.
Within hours Zambada Niebla — who was wearing military fatigues as she was loaded onto a Navy helicopter — was released and the Security Cabinet issued a statement saying the daughter of the drug kingpin would not face charges.
“During this operation, a woman, identified as the daughter of a criminal leader, was also located. She has no connection to criminal activities nor any outstanding warrants against her, and was therefore released and handed over to her family in accordance with established protocols and in strict adherence to the law,” it said.
Media reports were quick to point out that Zambada Niebla is on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list issued by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Security officials declared that the OFAC designation — originally issued in 2007 “for providing assistance or collaborating with a drug trafficking organization” — was lifted in 2019.
They also said that the sanction was administrative (only barring her from conducting transactions in the U.S. financial system or any type of business involving U.S. companies) and does not imply any criminal charges against her, either in Mexico or the U.S.
The EFE news agency reported that the OFAC sanctions against Zambada Niebla, her mother and three sisters still appear to be in effect.
U.S. officials had yet to comment on the matter as of Friday morning.
The confusion prompted speculation that the arrest of Zambada Niebla had not been approved by the U.S. government, with El Universal columnist Alberto Capella suggesting it might have endangered a plea deal the U.S. Department of Justice is negotiating with “El Mayo.”
Capella also questioned the official narrative — that Zambada Niebla “was simply the daughter of a criminal leader with no connection to illicit activities” — calling it “weak and incomplete,” particularly since the high-profile operation directly targeted the Zambada family and its property.
Torres Cabada, who has been linked to the “Los Mayos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, which has been engaged in a drug war with the “Los Chapitos” faction, remains in custody.
With reports from EFE, Noroeste, El Heraldo USA, Reforma and El Financiero
