Mexico's Reaction to the US over 'El Mayo': Is the FBI Operation a Violation of National Sovereignty?

Mexico's Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez evaluated allegations that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was involved in the operation to capture Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, a founding partner of the Sinaloa cartel, and transfer him to the United States. The Minister emphasized that if the operation in question was carried out without notifying the Mexican government, it would constitute a violation of international law. She stated that this action would directly breach the United Nations Charter, the Charter of the Organization of American States, the Mexican Constitution, and the National Security Law. Presenting the timeline provided by the government, Rodríguez used the phrase "someone lied" due to the contradictory statements made by the relevant authorities throughout the process. The Mexican administration has decided to follow up on the matter at the highest level to clarify the incident.

Mexico's Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco also made statements on the matter, announcing that the federal government, through the Attorney General's Office, has requested official information from the FBI. The request includes clarifying whether the FBI was directly involved in the 2024 operation to capture Zambada. It was also stated that continuous contact is being maintained with the US Embassy in Mexico and that some initial information was shared. According to the initial information received from the Embassy, it was learned that the plane that transported Zambada to the US was "loaned" to a museum in El Paso, Texas. The Mexican government continues its information requests to investigate all details in this complex process.

The Interior Minister shared details that changed the course of the incident, referencing a news report uncovered by the media organization named "Pie de Nota". According to the report, it was revealed that the small plane used in the operation was actually part of a warplane exhibition and was displayed by the FBI as an element of that period's operation. Minister Rodríguez stated that the FBI presenting this plane as part of its own operation makes the situation extremely significant and that the existing versions clearly contradict each other. While it is imperative to uncover the truth amidst the conflicting narratives, Rodriguez, given the importance of the matter, repeated "someone lied". This development is a harbinger of a crisis likely to deal a major blow to the trust between the two countries.

The detailed timeline presented by ministry officials at the Treasury Hall in the National Palace strikingly reveals the background of the incident. According to the narrative, when Sinaloa cartel leader Ovidio N was captured in Culiacán on 5 January 2023, 10 soldiers lost their lives during the operation. Ovidio N was extradited to the US by the Mexican government on 15 September 2023, but on 25 July 2024, the US Embassy altered the detention measure without consulting Mexico, violating the extradition agreement. On the same day, the plane carrying Joaquín N and Ismael N landed in the US; however, the aircraft's transponder remained off during takeoff and was only activated five minutes before landing. These highly suspicious details reinforce suspicions that the operation was intentionally conducted in secret from the very beginning.

A mysterious and tense picture also emerges in the later stages of the process. The Mexican government requested an official explanation from the US Embassy on 31 July 2024 regarding the role of US institutions in the operation, but then-US Ambassador Ken Salazar claimed on 9 August 2024 that no American institution participated in the operation. Despite this, the admission of 17 relatives of Ovidio N by the US government on 9 May 2025 further complicated the situation. Finally, a news report on 2 July 2026 provided evidence contradicting the Ambassador's words by placing the plane in an FBI operation exhibition. While the Mexican side conveyed the message that no agreements would be made with any criminal group with the US, it clarified that if the FBI's secret operation claim is confirmed, international and bilateral relations will be questioned anew.