In a significant operation for U.S. law enforcement, Mexican drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s son, Joaquín Guzmán Lopez, have been arrested in El Paso, Texas. This arrest marks a potential turning point in the Mexican criminal underworld.

The two men were taken into custody after arriving on a private jet and are now facing charges for their leadership roles in the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world’s most powerful and violent drug trafficking organizations. According to information from the U.S. Department of Justice, Zambada Garcia, who is reportedly in his 70s, and Guzmán Lopez, who is in his 30s, have been detained.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that Zambada Garcia and Guzmán Lopez face multiple charges related to leading the cartel’s criminal operations, including the production and distribution of the deadly drug fentanyl. Fentanyl has increasingly been linked to a disturbing rise in deaths among Americans aged 18 to 45.

Zambada Garcia, one of the most notorious and significant drug traffickers in Mexico’s history, co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel alongside El Chapo, who was extradited to the U.S. in 2017 and is now serving a life sentence in a high-security prison. Guzmán Lopez is one of four sons of El Chapo, who are collectively known as Los Chapitos and have inherited their father’s faction of the cartel.

The U.S. Justice Department had offered $15 million for information leading to Zambada Garcia’s arrest, as he allegedly became the “undisputed leader” of the Sinaloa Cartel following El Chapo’s incarceration. Experts also point out that previous arrests of key cartel leaders often lead to violence and power vacuums, potentially triggering significant internal conflict within the criminal organization and between rival cartels.

Vanda Felbab-Brown, a researcher at the Brookings Institution, commented that the potential for violence as a result of these arrests “certainly looms large.” This arrest could therefore have far-reaching consequences for the already turbulent situation within the Mexican drug trade.