Detained Mexican kingpin 'El Mayo' was 'kidnapped' by El Chapo's son, lawyer says

FILE PHOTO: A newspaper seller arranges newspapers reporting the El Paso, Texas, U.S., arrest of Mexican drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, "El Chapo" Guzman's son, in Mexico City, Mexico July 26, 2024. REUTERS/Gustavo Graf/File Photo

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Notorious Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada was "forcibly kidnapped" by a son of his former partner Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who brought him to the United States where both men are detained, Zambada's defense lawyer said on Saturday.

Frank Perez, Zambada's lawyer, said El Chapo's son Joaquin Guzman Lopez and six men in military uniforms ambushed Zambada near Culiacan in Mexico's Sinaloa state, forced him onto a plane and brought him to the United States against his will. Zambada pleaded not guilty to drug charges on Friday in El Paso, Texas, federal court.