Frank Pérez, the lawyer for Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, revealed in the docuseries *La caída de El Mayo* (The Fall of El Mayo)—released on Netflix on October 29, 2026—that he had warned the Sinaloa Cartel co-founder about rumors that Los Chapitos intended to eliminate him. However, the kingpin refused to believe it, as he assumed his loyalty toward them was reciprocated.
When Pérez visited him following his abduction and capture on July 25, 2024, Zambada was still in a state of shock, suffering from injuries to his leg and shoulder; according to his defense counsel, he kept recounting the story over and over again.
The three-episode docuseries, directed by Darren Foster and Miguel Fernández Flores, reconstructs Zambada’s trajectory, his relationship with Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, and the rift between the “La Mayiza” and “Los Chapitos” factions—a split that triggered a wave of violence in Sinaloa that persists to this day.
