One of the world’s most powerful drug lords, Ismael "El Mayo” Zambada, leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, has been arrested by US federal agents in El Paso, Texas.
Zambada, 76, founded the criminal organisation with Joaquin "El Chapo” Guzman, who is currently jailed in the US.
Arrested with Zambada on Thursday was Guzman’s son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, said the US justice department.
In February, Zambada was charged by US prosecutors with a conspiracy to make and distribute fentanyl, a drug more powerful than heroin that has been blamed for the US opioid crisis.
Citing Mexican and US officials, the Wall Street Journal reports that Zambada was tricked into boarding the plane by a high-ranking Sinaloa member following a months-long operation by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI.
Believing that he was going to inspect clandestine airstrips in southern Mexico, Zambada was instead flown to a private airfield outside El Paso, Texas.
Lopez was also arrested alongside Zambada by federal agents when the plane landed.
Officials said Zambada was "lured” onto a private plane under "false pretences” by Lopez, the New York Times reports.
Mexico’s Security Minister Rosa Rodriguez said his government was made aware of the detention of both Zambada and Lopez by the US Government but that the Mexican authorities were not involved in the operation to apprehend them.
Mexico’s president has called for full transparency from the United States about the capture.
"The United States government must provide a complete report, not just general statements... there must be transparency,” Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said at his regular morning news conference on Friday. (Agencies)