On July 15, 2026, the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) revealed that scientific voice and fingerprint analyses confirmed the true identity of Mauro Alberto Núñez Ojeda, alias “El Jando.” According to the agency, the accused attempted to conceal his real name by using a false identity upon his capture; however, forensic examinations concluded in June 2026 positively identified him as the pilot who transported Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García and Joaquín Guzmán López from Culiacán, Sinaloa, to New Mexico, United States, on July 25, 2024.
In statement FGR 443/26, the agency clarified that the handover of “El Jando” to U.S. authorities in August 2025—carried out alongside 25 other priority targets under National Security Law criteria—does not halt investigations within Mexican territory. The FGR emphasized that it retains custody of all recordings, testimonies, and forensic reports in order to continue requesting legal proceedings through bilateral mutual legal assistance treaties.
Núñez Ojeda was arrested on February 8, 2025, in the Jesús María district of Culiacán, following a confrontation in which armed civilians in an armored vehicle attacked Mexican Army and National Guard personnel, resulting in the death of one soldier and injuries to five others. At the time, the pilot denied any affiliation with organized crime, despite being classified as a high-ranking member within the Sinaloa Cartel’s structure. In addition to his role in the transfer of “El Mayo” Zambada, authorities attribute the following to him:
Coordinating armed actions to attempt to prevent the capture of Ovidio Guzmán López, alias “El Ratón,” on January 5, 2023.
Perpetrating attacks using explosive devices in Vascogil and Tamazula, Durango, in late 2024.
Recreational drugs.
Forensic confirmation from the FGR (Attorney General’s Office) marks a shift from previous statements made by the security cabinet. On August 13, 2025, the head of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), Omar Hamid García Harfuch, had initially ruled out Núñez Ojeda’s direct involvement in Zambada’s flight, although he identified him as a highly trusted pilot for Iván
Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar.
However, following the new FGR report, García Harfuch supported the suspect’s handover to foreign agencies, stating during the morning press conference at the National Palace: “What we seek is to remove people who perpetrate violence in our country… It was determined that they could leave.”
Within the Mexican judicial system, “El Jando” was formally charged—and proceedings against him initiated—on February 18, 2025, by a federal judge based in Almoloya de Juárez. He faced charges for carrying weapons reserved for exclusive military use and for possession of drugs (fentanyl and methamphetamine) with intent to distribute. Although his defense team secured a permanent injunction in March 2025 that blocked the start of his oral trial, the measure did not halt his detention at the “El Altiplano” maximum-security prison or his subsequent extradition.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that the pilot was taken into custody by U.S. authorities and is now before the Federal Court for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C., where he faces criminal charges that could result in a life sentence. Meanwhile, in Mexico, the case file regarding the abduction of “El Mayo” Zambada and the homicide of politician Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda will proceed independently.
