FGR Arrests Witness in El Mayo Case
Original reporting: Tribuna de la Bahía
What happened
Tribuna de la Bahía reports that Mexico’s federal prosecutor arrested Fausto N in an investigation tied to the alleged abduction of Ismael El Mayo Zambada and the killing of Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda.
Reporting and context
Tribuna de la Bahía reports that the Fiscalía General de la República carried out an arrest warrant against Fausto “N” in Mexico City’s Miguel Hidalgo borough. The FGR identifies him as a possible participant and key witness in the July 2024 abduction of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. The detention is also part of investigations into the killing of Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda in Culiacán, Sinaloa.
According to the FGR account published by the outlet, Fausto “N” accompanied Cuén Ojeda to a meeting where Zambada was allegedly deprived of his freedom and therefore may have witnessed part of the events. The federal agency says a control judge issued the warrant for probable involvement in concealment related to Cuén’s homicide and in allegedly false statements to prosecutorial authorities. The FGR further alleges that the detainee later gave contradictory statements and omitted information about what happened.
Tribuna de la Bahía says the federal investigation links the two events to the same episode at a property in the Culiacán municipality on July 25, 2024. The FGR states that Zambada was later taken to the United States while Cuén was killed, and says Fausto “N”’s testimony is relevant to reconstructing the sequence. These are allegations and agency statements reported by the outlet; the report does not describe a final conviction.