The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) donated to the War Eagles Air Museum the Beechcraft King Air plane used in the transfer of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to the United States, where he was detained on July 25, 2024 along with Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

The aircraft will remain on public display as an educational piece intended to explain the US authorities' fight against drug trafficking and organized crime.

The agreement between the FBI and the museum was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding with an initial validity of two years, although later the facility could keep the plane permanently.

The museum, located at the Doña Ana County Airport, in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, reported that the exhibition seeks to show the context of one of the most relevant operations against the Sinaloa Cartel in recent years, without glorifying criminal activities.

"This aircraft tells a complex story. It demonstrates how aviation can be exploited by criminal organizations and how coordinated law enforcement efforts can stop those activities," the museum said in a statement.

For its part, the FBI indicated that the exhibition aims to "educate the public about the important work carried out by law enforcement to arrest these fugitives" and help explain the work carried out to bring justice to victims of drug trafficking.

The aircraft, valued at approximately $650,000, remained under federal custody since Zambada's capture. According to the authorities, the plane had alterations in its serial numbers and used a registration that originally corresponded to another aircraft, so it cannot operate or be marketed in the United States again, which is why it was donated to the museum.

The operations director of the War Eagles Air Museum, Andrés Cabral, confirmed that the plane can now be seen outside the main hangar and that it will later be integrated into the permanent exhibition.

The capture of “El Mayo” Zambada continues to be surrounded by questions. The Attorney General's Office has requested from the US authorities information about the flight, the actual identification of the aircraft, its records and other elements related to the operation; However, until now it has not been reported whether said data was provided.

According to the version presented by the FGR and later supported by Zambada himself in a letter released by his defense, the capo was deceived and forcibly taken from Culiacán to US territory by Joaquín Guzmán López, who was later also arrested upon landing in Santa Teresa.