'World's most elusive drug lord' fighting secret health battle but remains 'untouchable'

Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, a 76-year-old Mexican drug lord who has never been arrested or incarcerated, remains as powerful as ever despite growing health concerns, according to a new book

22:08, 2 MAY 2024


One of Mexico's most wanted drug lords is fighting a secret health battle but remains so powerful that he doesn't need bodyguards, according to a new book. Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, 76, was right-hand man to the infamous Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán and took over a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel following El Chapo's arrest in 2016.

El Mayo himself has never been arrested or incarcerated and is so elusive that there are only a handful of photos of him. He is also the sole remaining fugitive from a list of 37 "most wanted" drug lords Mexican authorities announced they were hunting in 2009.



One of the few photos of El Mayo (Image: Netflix)

According to Infobae, investigative journalist Anabel Hernández describes in her new book 'The Secret Story: AMLO and the Sinaloa Cartel' (set to be released later this month) how El Mayo's health is deteriorating with his age.

"He suffers from controlled diabetes and a nagging knee that swells so much that he has to have fluid removed with a needle on a regular basis," Hernández writes.

This isn't the first time someone has claimed El Mayo has diabetes. In 2020, former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mike Vigil told Infobae the illness was why El Chapo's sons thought they could take control of the Sinaloa Cartel from him. Los Chapitos, as they are known, lead a rival faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.

More:
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/worlds-most-elusive-drug-lord-32724750