New revelations attributed to the former United States ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, have revived the debate about the capture of drug trafficker Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada and the tensions that marked the final stage of the relationship between Washington and the government of then-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

According to previews of Salazar's memoirs, which will be published on July 28, the former Mexican president would have expressed concern about the information that Zambada could provide to the US authorities after his capture in 2024. Mexico's response was immediate.

This Monday, during her morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo reacted cautiously and minimized Salazar's claims, ensuring that the Mexican government has "absolutely no" concern about the statements of the drug trafficker, who is currently imprisoned in a US federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges.

Sheinbaum rejects Salazar's interpretation

During his morning conference, Sheinbaum pointed out that so far only fragments reported by the media are known and maintained that López Obrador's main concern was never what Zambada could declare, but rather the possible participation of US agencies in the operation that ended with his transfer to the United States. The president stated that the former ruler repeatedly questioned the lack of clarity about how the capture occurred and whether there were unilateral actions by US authorities in Mexican territory.

According to Sheinbaum, that was the reason that led to the cooling of the relationship between López Obrador and Salazar during the last months of the six-year term. In addition, he dismissed any current concerns within his administration regarding possible statements by the drug trafficker before US courts.

Salazar's statements were initially reported by the newspaper Reforma and are part of the book Borderlands: My Fight for an Inclusive America, in which the diplomat recounts key episodes of his administration in Mexico.

According to the former ambassador, a businessman close to López Obrador, whom he identifies only as “the whisperer,” had told him that the then president was concerned about the possibility that the historical criminal leader would reveal information related to Mexican government officials.

The capture of “El Mayo” continues to generate controversy

The arrest of Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, caused one of the biggest political and diplomatic controversies between both countries in recent years. After his arrest, the boss himself assured that he was the victim of a deception organized by people linked to the criminal organization founded together with Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán. His statements fueled speculation about the possible intervention of US agencies and about alleged contacts with political actors in Mexico.

The doubts also impacted the bilateral relationship at a time when both governments faced shared challenges in security, drug trafficking and migration. In his memoirs, Salazar also addresses other sensitive topics, including his criticism of the security strategy known as “hugs, not bullets,” the differences that arose from the judicial reform promoted by Morena, and the disagreements that marked the final stretch of his relationship with López Obrador.

Meanwhile, Zambada's capture remains under investigation by Mexican authorities. Sheinbaum's government maintains that it is still seeking to know all the details of the operation that brought the historic criminal leader to US territory, an episode that continues to raise questions on both sides of the border.