‘Don Flaco,’ alleged trafficker for the Sinaloa Cartel, captured in Mexico City

Mexican authorities reported Tuesday the arrest in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City of José Ángel Rivera Zazueta, alias “Don Flaco,” for drug trafficking.

The operation, supported by information shared between Mexican and U.S. agencies, was carried out by a coordinated effort between the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), through its Criminal Investigation Agency, and the Security Ministry (SSPC).

Rivera Zazueta, born on August 15, 1987, in Culiacán, Sinaloa, was identified by the U.S. Department of Justice as one of the Sinaloa Cartel’s main fentanyl traffickers. Don Flaco has been designated as such by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) since 2023, and the arrest was the result of an ongoing operation. 

The United States and Mexico have extended cooperation and data sharing between their respective law enforcement agencies to tackle criminal organizations operating in both countries. This collaborative work has helped advance operations while respecting the legal procedures governing extradition processes in the two countries. 

Rivera Zazueta is reported to be the coordinator and financier of an organization dedicated to transporting chemical precursors, which are commonly used in the production of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, MDMA, methamphetamines, 2C-B, and ketamine, from China to Mexico and the United States. 

 The 2023 OFAC statement stated that Rivera Zazueta collaborated directly with the Chinese company Shanghai Fast-Fine Chemicals, previously identified by the agency in 2021, to ship chemical precursors, often with false labels, to drug trafficking organizations in Mexico.

Don Flaco allegedly played a leadership role in the network and was responsible for both logistical coordination and financing of trafficking operations.

The organization operated globally, with activities in the United States, Mexico, South and Central America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, according to information from the U.S. Treasury Department. 

In her 2024 book on the Sinaloa Cartel, the journalist Anabel Hernández alleges that Rivera Zazueta was Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada’s main operative in Mexico City, a position once held by Zambada’s brother, Jesús “Rey” Zambada García. 

Hernández claims that Rivera Zazueta’s principal task was to control the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) for the entry and exit of chemical precursors and narcotics by bribing members of the Mexican Navy, the National Defense Ministry, the National Guard, and customs officials. 

Rivera Zazueta is being held on a provisional arrest warrant for extradition to the United States.