What happened to the pilot who took Mayo Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez to the US?

On August 12, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador once again emphasized one of the biggest unknowns regarding the arrest of Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López: Who is and where is the pilot who took both leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel to the United States?

During this Monday’s ‘La Mañanera’, the head of the Executive insisted that, more than two weeks after the arrest of both controversial figures, the authorities of the country of the stars and stripes have not yet provided Mexico with all the information in their possession to clarify the facts.

“For example: it is not known what happened to the pilot, if they released him or where he is from,” he said.

Initially, the federal government had identified ―based on information from the National Institute of Migration (INM)― the person responsible for the transfer of Zambada García and Guzmán López as Larry Curtis Parker, a pilot of American citizenship.

According to the report provided by the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) at the press conference on July 26, between 07:10 and 07:31 hours the previous day, two men appeared at the Hermosillo International Airport to arrange the departure of a Cessna 205 type plane with registration N8454Z; that is, the aircraft belonging to Curtis Parker.

The flight plan, publicly released, indicated that the aforementioned man traveled alone to Santa Teresa Airport, located in El Paso, Texas – the same place where they were arrested. However, the data on the takeoff and landing of the aircraft did not coincide with the arrival of the drug traffickers in the US. This version fell shortly after.

In an interview with journalist Peniley Ramírez, Curtis Parker revealed that he had nothing to do with the most relevant security event so far this year in Mexico.

He said he was a businessman who owns an asphalt company. He lives in New Mexico, but constantly crosses the border in his aircraft to Hermosillo, Sonora, to hunt and fish in Mexican territory.

“I am an American citizen who enjoys hunting and fishing in Mexico and I have nothing to do with this story. (…) I go to Mexico a lot, I love hunting there and my trips are for pleasure. I am just a businessman who loves Mexico,” he told Peniley.

But then, who was it?

According to the United States ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, the pilot who made the trip was not hired by them, although they pointed out that the flight began in Sinaloa.

“The pilot was not an employee nor was he hired by the United States Government, nor by an American citizen,” his report reads. However, he did not provide details about this character.

López Obrador acknowledged this fact during ‘La Mañanera’, but assured that there is still no evidence or solid proof, so he does not rule out any option.

On the other hand, the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) announced that, after the publication of Zambada García’s first statement, proceedings were carried out in the area known as Huertos del Pedregal – the area where he said he had been kidnapped – and at an airfield that was possibly used to take him to the US.

“All requests for documentation and information on air navigation have also been processed; as well as immigration information between Mexico and the United States of America in this regard; which is being immediately incorporated into the corresponding file,” it reported.

Source: infobae