International
The United States arrests Mayo Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel
The United States arrested Ismael ‘el Mayo’ Zambada, leader and co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, in Texas on Thursday, who had been wanted by the US authorities for decades and had a reward of 15 million dollars, according to the Department of Justice.
Along with Zambada, Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of Joaquín “el Chapo” Guzmán, was arrested.
“The Department of Justice has arrested two other alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. Ismael Zambada García, or ‘El Mayo’, co-founder of the Cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López, son of his other co-founder, were arrested today in El Paso, Texas,” the Department of Justice emphasizes in a statement.
The department highlights that both men “face multiple charges in the United States for leading the Cartel’s criminal operations, including its lethal fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks.”
In February, a New York prosecutor charged Zambada for the fifth time with the crimes of manufacturing and distributing fentanyl in the United States.
In addition, the Prosecutor’s Office raised the reward from 5 to 15 million dollars for anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of Zambada, information that can be sent to the Department of Justice by phone, email and even social networks.
“Fentanyl is the most lethal drug threat that our country has ever faced, and the Department of Justice will not rest until every leader, member and associate of the cartel responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable,” the text highlights.
The Department of Justice, in addition, highlights the detention of other leaders and associates of the Sinaloa Cartel, such as: El Chapo; another of the sons of the Chapo and alleged leader of the Cartel, Ovidio Guzmán López; and the alleged main hitman of the Cartel, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas or ‘El Nini’.
Al Chapo Guzmán was arrested in Mexico in January 2016 after starring in two escapes in 2001 and 2015, and extradited to the United States in January 2017 where he was sentenced in July 2019 to life imprisonment plus an additional 30 years.
For its part, the Drug Control Administration (DEA) indicated that ‘May’ will “soon face justice in a court of justice in the United States.”
Regarding Joaquín Guzmán López, the DEA stressed that, in 2017, he and his brothers – known as ‘los Chapitos’, “allegedly took control of the Sinaloa Cartel after El Chapo was extradited to the United States.”
The arrest of ‘Mayo’ Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of ‘Chapo’ Guzmán, occurred through a betrayal that led them to think that they were inspecting airfields in Mexican territory instead of landing in American territory, where they were arrested, according to The Wall Street Journal.
According to U.S. National Security Investigations officials told the newspaper, Zambada and Guzmán López, alias ‘el Güero’, thought they were inspecting clandestine airfields in Mexico, but were taken to the vicinity of El Paso (Texas) where FBI agents were waiting for them.
The operation had been prepared for months and had various US federal agencies and agents armed with rifles. Zambada is one of the most wanted criminals in the United States, who had put a reward of 15 million dollars for information that led to his capture.
Agents of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office. (CBP) guarded this afternoon the private plane without a license plate in which Ismael ‘el Mayo’ Zambada, leader and co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López, alias ‘el Güero’, two of the most wanted drug lords of the United States, were arrested.
According to EFE, the Beechcraft King Air plane was still in custody this afternoon after it was confirmed that the Mayo Zambada landed on it in U.S. territory bordering Mexico.
The scene of this arrest, surrounded by mystery, was the discreet private airport of Santa Teresa, New Mexico, in Dona Ana County, very close to El Paso (Texas).
International
U.S. to suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 countries
The United States announced on Wednesday that it will suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 nationalities, marking another move by President Donald Trump’s administration to curb the entry of migrants into the country.
“ The United States is freezing the processing of all visas for 75 countries, including Somalia, Russia and Iran,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X. According to Fox News, the measure will take effect on January 21 and will remain in force indefinitely.
Based on an internal State Department memorandum obtained by Fox News Digital, consular officers have been instructed to deny visa applications under existing law while the agency conducts an in-depth review of screening and vetting procedures. The stated goal is to tighten criteria to prevent the entry of foreigners who could eventually rely on public assistance.
The list of affected countries includes several nations in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Afghanistan, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Somalia and Yemen, among others. Fox News reported that exemptions to the suspension will be “very limited” and will only be granted once applicants pass an assessment related to the public charge requirement.
Other countries in the Americas subject to the suspension include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The decision is based on a strict interpretation of the so-called “public charge” clause of U.S. immigration law. A cable sent to U.S. consulates worldwide in November 2025 had already signaled the shift, instructing officials to apply tougher standards when evaluating applicants, taking into account factors such as age, health status, English proficiency, financial situation, history of public assistance, and even the potential need for long-term medical care.
International
Peruvian Court Orders Definitive Dismissal of Money Laundering Case Against Keiko Fujimori
A court of Peru’s National Superior Court of Specialized Criminal Justice ordered the definitive dismissal of the criminal proceedings for alleged money laundering and criminal organization against presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, authorities reported on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
The ruling was issued by the Tenth National Preparatory Investigation Court in compliance with a previous decision by the Constitutional Court (TC). The decision was confirmed by Fujimori’s attorney, Giuliana Loza, who said on social media platform X that “there was no money laundering nor criminal organization.”
According to the defense, the case was closed for lacking legal grounds and for violating due process. “The proceedings concluded because they lacked a legal basis and constituted clear prosecutorial persecution,” Loza stated.
Judge Wilson Verastegui, whose ruling was reported by local media, said the Constitutional Court determined that the facts alleged in the so-called ‘Cocktails Case’ do not constitute a criminal offense under the principle of legality. The court noted that the crime of illegal financing of political organizations was not in force at the time the alleged acts occurred.
The dismissal also applies to other leaders of the Fuerza Popular party, including Pier Figari, Ana Rosa Herz, Jaime Yoshiyama and José Chlimper, as well as the party itself.
Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000), had been under investigation for the alleged irregular financing of her 2011 and 2016 presidential campaigns, a case that exposed her to a possible 30-year prison sentence. However, one year ago the National Superior Court annulled the trial and returned the case to the intermediate stage.
Fujimori is currently pursuing her fourth presidential bid, ahead of Peru’s general elections scheduled for April.
International
Colombian Defense Chief Meets U.S. Officials to Advance Bilateral Narcotics Strategy
Colombia’s Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez Suárez, is in the United States this Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss bilateral cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, Colombian officials said, in a visit that comes as ties between Bogotá and Washington begin to ease after a period of diplomatic tension.
The trip is seen as a prelude to a scheduled visit by Colombian President Gustavo Petro to Washington, where he is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time in early February. Sánchez will remain in Washington through Wednesday, according to Colombian government sources.
During his stay, Sánchez is slated to meet with senior U.S. officials, including representatives from the Department of Defense, members of the U.S. Senate, and White House advisors, to outline a joint strategy to “defeat drug trafficking” and expand cooperation on intelligence against transnational crime.
According to a statement from the Colombian Defense Ministry, the agenda will include strengthening collaboration on technology, intelligence sharing, and efforts to disrupt criminal networks that operate across borders. Officials said the discussions will also help set the stage for Petro’s upcoming talks with Trump.
The visit follows a period of strained U.S.–Colombia relations last year, when Washington revoked Petro’s visa and withdrew Colombia’s certification as a key partner in anti-drug efforts — moves that coincided with disagreements over counter-narcotics strategy and broader diplomatic frictions. However, a recent phone call between Petro and Trump, described as cordial by officials, helped lower tensions and reopened channels for dialogue ahead of the presidential meeting.
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