Mexico Investigating US Ambassador Salazar for Lying About 'Mayo' Zambada's Arrest

The Mexican government is preparing to investigate the allegation that former US Ambassador Ken Salazar intentionally lied to Mexican authorities regarding the process of arresting Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, one of the founders of the Sinaloa Cartel. President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that Salazar's claims about the US government not being involved in the operation are now in doubt. The revelation that the plane used to transport Zambada to the US belonged to the FBI has created a new point of tension in bilateral relations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General's Office of Mexico are expected to closely examine the issue. Sheinbaum emphasized that she will not let go of the allegations of lying, which is an extremely serious accusation against a diplomat.

The background of the incident relies on the diplomatic crisis that began with Zambada's surrender to US territory on 25 Temmuz 2024 and has continued since that day. The Mexican government, arguing that it was not informed of the operation beforehand, repeatedly requested an explanation from Washington, but no concrete information has been shared for approximately two years. In his own statement, Zambada claimed that he was kidnapped by Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of El Chapo Guzmán, and was taken to the US against his will, thereby disproving the initial US narrative. These contradictions deepened suspicions that Mexico's sovereignty had been violated and initiated a legal process. President Sheinbaum emphasized that the truth must be fully revealed to her people and to the American people.

The most critical development that caused the crisis to escalate emerged with a news report published by Luis Chaparro, a journalist specializing in narcotráfico. The report shared details that the plane allegedly carrying Zambada was an untraceable 'narcojet' and that this plane was donated to the War Eagles Air Museum by the FBI. On the information panel next to the plane exhibited in the said museum, the FBI explicitly claims to have participated in the operation and brought Zambada to the US. This detail directly contradicts the official statements made by Salazar that the US administration was not involved in the incident. Sheinbaum stated that in the light of this new information, the question 'Did Ambassador Ken Salazar lie?' has now officially been brought to the agenda.

President Sheinbaum also clearly answered questions regarding whether Salazar's actions would have legal and diplomatic consequences. Reminding that all ambassadors have diplomatic immunity, Sheinbaum stated, however, that the situation would become even more serious if the former ambassador were to repeat the same claims in a book he is set to publish soon. The Mexican government emphasized that it is an unacceptable situation for an ambassador to have intentionally lied to official authorities. The investigation process is planned to be conducted jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General's Office. Sheinbaum argued that this step aims to ensure accountability, not to damage relations between the two countries.

Whether this diplomatic crisis will damage the broad security cooperation between Mexico and the US also remains a question. Sheinbaum explicitly stated that this crisis will not disrupt the cooperation between the two countries in combating organized crime groups. At the same time, however, she expressed that the US intentionally lying to Mexico is unacceptable and that the principle of transparency in relations must be preserved. Even though the two countries recently established joint security coordination teams, such trust-shaking incidents could strain future intelligence sharing. While protecting its sovereign rights, Mexico continues its balancing effort to simultaneously ensure regional security. What long-term effects the incident will have on the strategies for combating drug cartels in Kuzey Amerika will become clear over time.