Inside the Drug Empire of El Mayo Zambada in Valladolid, Yucatán

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a Sinaloan drug lord, reportedly used the city of Valladolid, Yucatán as his operational hub, according to military intelligence reports. Zambada established an extensive drug trafficking network in the Yucatan Peninsula, with Valladolid serving as its core.

Zambada is also believed to have led a Juarez Cartel cell with influence extending to Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Campeche, and Tabasco. He was married to Rosalinda D.G., a woman from a prosperous Valladolid family, and they have two children together.

Zambada was recently arrested in Texas. However, records indicate that he was a regular attendee at parties in Valladolid during the 90s. One such event was his partner's quinceañera, where he was seen in the company of others. Locals recall his generosity, often inviting them to lavish meals and drinks. He even brought a Valladolid native to prepare cochinita, a traditional dish, at one of his parties in Sinaloa.

Luis Alberto D.G., Zambada's brother-in-law and the alleged killer of his brother, has been in hiding in the United States since May 1997. Other members of Rosalinda's family have also been implicated in drug trafficking activities.

"El Mayo" had operatives in Yucatán responsible for drug distribution in the region. They were suspected of involvement in the murder of a congressman in 2002. Valladolid was a key distribution point for cocaine throughout the peninsula, with drugs arriving via sophisticated vessels.

According to a PGR report, "El Mayo" Zambada and other drug traffickers collaborated with businesses, police, military, and officials in Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo.