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New York
Mexican drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, the co-founder of the notorious Sinaloa cartel, on Friday pleaded not guilty to US drug charges after he and former leader El Chapo's son were arrested in Texas.
Citing court records, a report by the news agency Reuters on Saturday said that Zambada directed that a not-guilty plea be entered on his behalf, which was accepted by US Magistrate Judge Anne Berton.
Also read | Two top leaders of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel arrested in US
At an initial court appearance in a Texas courtroom, Zambada- seen in a wheelchair- was read his rights and charges, according to a transcript. He waived his right to be present at an arraignment on July 31.
The accusations against Zambada
Zambada, who is in his 70s, has been accused of being one of the most consequential traffickers in Mexico's history, having co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel with El Chapo- who is currently in jail.
On Friday, US authorities arrested Zambada and Chapo's son Joaquin Guzman Lopez after they both landed in a private aircraft in the El Paso area.
Zambada and Joaquin face multiple charges in the US for allegedly funnelling huge quantities of fentanyl and other drugs to American streets. An official told Reuters that Joaquin was due to appear in court in Chicago next week.
Joe Biden hails arrests
US President Joe Biden hailed Friday's arrests and vowed to continue combating drug trafficking.
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In a statement, President Biden said, "Too many of our citizens have lost their lives to the scourge of fentanyl. Too many families have been broken and are suffering because of this destructive drug."
Joaquin lured Zambada to US
Citing officials, Reuters reported that Guzman Lopez lured Zambada to the US. "My client did not come to the US voluntarily," Zambada's lawyer told the news agency.
Zambada and El Chapo's sons have had a fractious relationship since their father was extradited in 2017, and the arrests of Zambada and Joaquin may trigger instability or even violence in their heartlands in the northern state of Sinaloa.
(With inputs from agencies)