The Cuban-Mexican actor Alberto Guerra will play "El Mayo Zambada" in Narcos Mexico 3

December 6, 2020

This week the names of the new actors who will be part of the third season of the Netflix series "Narcos: Mexico" were revealed, among them is Alberto Guerra who will bring to life the enigmatic drug trafficker Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.

For many years there has been talk of this drug lord, however, there has never been much information about the one they call "the true leader of the Sinaloa Cartel", because although he has been accused of many crimes, he has never been captured.

That is why below we will tell you a little more about Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.

Who is "El Mayo"?
Ismael Zambada was born on January 1, 1948 in the community of Álamo in Culiacán, Sinaloa and since he was 16 years old he has been involved in the drug business.

He has 50 years of trafficking and this drug lord has never set foot in jail, there is not even knowledge that authorities have been close to capturing him.

According to journalist Anabel Hernández, Ismael Zambada was in total poverty, so much so that the now wanted drug trafficker washed truck tires to be able to live.

However, El Mayo's luck changed after his sister married a man of Cuban origin named Antonio Cruz, who according to the aforementioned journalist, is not on Mexico's radar, but it would be this man who introduced Ismael Zambada into the drug trafficking business.

This story was little known, however, he had access to this information thanks to "El Vicentillo" son of "El Mayo" Zambada who gave Hernández some documents that she later verified were real so that she could write "El Traidor. El diario secreto del hijo del Mayo".

The time El Mayo gave an interview
Zambada met with journalist Julio Scherer, founder of the magazine «Proceso«, of course, this interview was conducted under the conditions that the drug lord imposed, among them was not recording the conversation, however, he did allow him to be photographed with him and even make public the image that we all already know.

During the interview, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada assures that one of his greatest fears is that authorities will arrest him, on the other hand the drug lord spoke about his way of life, which apparently has been key to not being captured.

The drug lord also confessed to Scherer that he has been four times close to being arrested, but certainly many fewer occasions than "El Chapo" because if he stays in one place he runs the risk of being captured.

Is he the true boss of the Sinaloa Cartel?
One of "El Chapo's" lawyers, Jeffrey Lichtman, said that the true boss of the Sinaloa cartel is "El Mayo" Zambada, who according to the lawyer is responsible for sending drug shipments to the United States.

In 2015 the then head of DEA Operations, Jack Riley, told the magazine "Proceso" that despite the notoriety that the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel had recently acquired, he considered "El Mayo" to be the most powerful drug trafficker.

According to the DEA's most wanted list, Zambada is accused of 14 federal violations; conspiracy to commit crimes, drug trafficking (cocaine and marijuana), kidnapping and homicide, among others.