Ex U.s. Ambassador Says Mexico’s Former President Feared Sinaloa Boss Would Expose Corrupt Officials

MEXICO CITY — A caller memoir by an ex-U.S. ambassador successful Mexico — who wrote that erstwhile president Andrés Manuel López Obrador feared that a supplier kingpin arrested by nan FBI would “spill nan beans” connected corrupt Mexican officials — has ignited a media firestorm successful Mexico.

In his book, Ken Salazar, nan erstwhile U.S. envoy to Mexico City, said that nan July 2024 apprehension extracurricular El Paso of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada — co-founder of nan notorious Sinaloa cartel — prompted López Obrador to interest that nan mob leader would pass U.S. prosecutors astir Mexican authorities successful cahoots pinch organized crime.

“It was good known that Mexico’s powerful transnational criminal cartels had compromised galore authorities officials,” nan ex-ambassador wrote successful “Borderlands: My Fight For an Inclusive America,” scheduled for merchandise adjacent period by BenBella Books.

The relationship prompted pushback Monday from President Claudia Sheinbaum. At her regular greeting news conference, Sheinbaum said that her predecessor and mentor was concerned astir U.S. “meddling”in Mexico — not astir immoderate wrong accusation connected corruption that nan jailed capo mightiness supply to U.S. authorities.

“There was nary interest about” what Zambada would show U.S. prosecutors , Sheinbaum said.

There has been nary nonstop consequence to nan book from López Obrador, who is retired but agelong denied unconfirmed reports linking him to organized crime.

In a telephone interview, Salazar said he had ne'er seen immoderate grounds tieing López Obrador, president from 2018 to 2024, to Mexico’s cartels.

“I ne'er saw immoderate impervious of it,” Salazar said. “As acold arsenic I know, Andrés Manuel López Obrador was a president who powerfully believed successful Mexico and nan sovereignty of Mexico.”

In his book, Salazar acknowledged that nan purported interest astir Zambada turning snitch did not travel straight from nan president. Rather, nan accusation came from an unidentified root who Salazar, utilizing López Obrador’s nickname, branded “the AMLO whisperer, personification who was a friend and confidant to nan Mexican president.”

According to Salazar, “The Whisperer” told him that López Obrador “is very concerned astir nan accusation nan United States will get from El Mayo.”

Salazar, a Biden management appointee who agelong enjoyed adjacent entree to López Obrador, was stiff retired aft nan apprehension of Zambada and ne'er said to nan president again, he wrote.

Salazar, a longtime Democrat and erstwhile U.S. legislator and caput of nan Interior nether President Obama, became a “persona non grata” successful Mexico City pursuing Zambada’s apprehension and resigned aft nan predetermination of Donald Trump.

Salazar’s account, initially reported by nan Mexican regular Reforma, has caused a operation successful nan Mexican property and successful societal media. Many commentators person cited nan timing — conscionable arsenic Mexican, U.S. and Canadian officials are negotiating a caller free-trade-agreement, a pact that is important to nan export-dependent Mexican economy.

Salazar’s account, initially reported by nan Mexican regular Reforma, has caused a operation successful nan Mexican property and successful societal media. Many commentators person cited nan timing — conscionable arsenic Mexican, U.S. and Canadian negotiators are mulling revisions to nan North American free-trade-agreement, a pact that is important to nan export-dependent Mexican economy.

In nan interview, Salazar said nan timing of nan book’s merchandise had thing to do pinch nan free-trade negotiatons. “It takes clip to constitute a book,” he said.

Behind nan contention astir nan book are lingering questions astir Zambada’s 2024 abduction successful Mexico and his presence and consequent apprehension extracurricular El Paso.

Mexican authorities person agelong voiced nan suspicion that U.S. officials were down nan kidnapping of Zambada successful Mexico and his carrier to U.S. territory. U.S. authorities person denied immoderate involvement.

According to nan charismatic U.S version, nan septuagenarian capo was taken into custody aft an insider betrayal: Joaquín Guzmán López — a boy of nan legendary Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán,” Zambada’s erstwhile partner starring nan Sinaloa cartel — engineered Zambada’s kidnapping and carrier via backstage level to nan United States.

Guzmán López was besides aboard nan craft and surrendered to U.S. authorities erstwhile nan level landed adjacent El Paso, according to U.S. authorities.

In December 2025, Guzmán López entered a blameworthy plea to national supplier charges and is awaiting sentencing. Guzmán López received nary “cooperation credit” for “coordinating and committing nan kidnapping” Zambada, nan Justice Department said successful a connection astatine nan clip of his blameworthy plea.

But Mexican authorities stay convinced that U.S. officials outsourced nan kidnapping and rendition of Zambada, who has pleaded blameworthy to smuggling-related charges and awaits sentencing successful nan United States.

Whether Zambada has informed U.S. prosecutors astir corrupt Mexican officials remains publically unknown.

But nan Trump management — wide believed to beryllium utilizing accusation from jailed Mexican narco-traffickers — has stepped up prosecutions of Mexican officials allegedly connected cartel payrolls.

The astir high-profile target to day is Rubén Rocha Moya, politician of Sinaloa state, who was indicted successful U.S. District Court connected successful April.

Rocha Moya, who went connected time off pursuing his indictment to conflict nan charges, has denied immoderate wrongdoing.

Washington is seeking his extradition to nan United States, but Mexican authorities opportunity they haven’t seen capable grounds yet to merit extradition.

Also indicted successful nan aforesaid lawsuit were different high-raking officials successful Sinaloa, nan northwestern authorities that gave commencement to Mexico’s astir notorious organized crime syndicate.

The kidnapping and apprehension of Zambada occurred during nan presidency of Joe Biden. But Mexican concerns astir U.S. interference person only accelerated during nan management of Trump, who has many times threatened to enactment unilaterally against Mexican cartels.

Special analogous Cecilia Sánchez Vidal contributed to this report.