Pilot suspected of working for Mexican drug cartel arrested

Security forces in Mexico have arrested a pilot they suspect of working for Los Chapitos, the Mexican cartel run by sons of the jailed drug lord Joaquín ‘”El Chapo” Guzmán.

The pilot, known by the alias of “El Jando”, was detained in the northern city of Culiacán, the stronghold of Los Chapitos, in an operation in which one soldier was shot dead.

Mexican intelligence sources allege he is a key figure in Los Chapitos and that he played a role in the sting operation which led to the arrest of another cartel kingpin “El Mayo Zambada” in the US.

The pilot’s lawyers have asked the courts for more time to prepare his defence.

While “El Jando” was detained in the early hours of Saturday, detailed information about the charges levelled against him have only become public in recent days.

Mexico’s security minister told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday that he could confirm “El Jando” was the trusted pilot of the leader of “Los Chapitos”.

Prosecutors allege that as well as being an accomplished pilot, he was also involved in drug and arms trafficking and in several explosive attacks on the security forces.

Most importantly though, Mexican intelligence services are now hoping to gain information from “El Jando” about the mysterious flight which delivered wanted drug kingpin “El Mayo” into the hands of US federal agents.

US officials have said that “El Mayo” was betrayed by none other than Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of the infamous “El Chapo” Guzmán.

The officials allege that Guzmán López tricked the 75-year-old “El Mayo” – who had been a close ally of his father – into boarding a plane with him which then crossed the border into the US.

Photos released by US law enforcement showed the two men being arrested at a private airport near El Paso, Texas, by US agents who had clearly been waiting for them on the airport’s tarmac for their arrival.

Those loyal to “El Mayo” think that Joaquín Guzmán López delivered the cartel leader, who had evaded capture for three decades, to the US as part of a deal to negotiate a lesser sentence for himself.

The lawyer for “El Mayo” denied that his client had been “duped”, but said that he had been forced onto the plane by Joaquín Guzmán López.

“He was ambushed, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed … he was then thrown into the back of a pickup truck and taken to a landing strip; there, he was forced onto a plane, his legs tied to the seat by Joaquín, and brought to the US against his will,” the lawyer told the LA Times newspaper.

The lawyer also said that the only people on board the plane had been “the pilot, Joaquín and my client”.

While it is not yet clear whether “El Jando” – the pilot arrested this weekend – was the one who flew the plane or whether he helped to plan the operation, Mexican prosecutors appeared confident he could provide them with information about the flight which ended in the arrest of both Guzmán López and “El Mayo”.

“El Mayo” has since pleaded not guilty in a US court to a long list of drug-related charges while lawyers for Joaquín Guzmán López have said that their client is in plea negotiations.

The alleged betrayal of “El Mayo” by Guzmán López has led to a split in their cartel with followers of the former, known as “Los Mayos” or “La Mayiza”, attacking those loyal to the latter.