El Chapo bribed Interpol, Mexican officials to keep drugs flowing to US, informant says
- Paying off corrupt officials in Mexico City alone cost the cartel US$300,000 per month, according to informant on third day of drug lord’s trial
Drug baron Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman paid huge bribes to Mexican prosecutors, police, military and even Interpol to ensure smooth operations for his Sinaloa cartel, a key informant said at his US trial on Thursday.
Jesus “El Rey” Zambada, brother of the cartel’s co-head, the still-at-large Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, detailed the eye-watering costs of protecting cocaine shipments from Colombia to the US via Mexico.
Zambada, who worked for the cartel from 1987 until his arrest in 2008, was returning to the witness box on the third day of a trial expected to last about four months.
He told the court that as the head of the organisation’s operations in the capital city, he personally paid bribes to the attorney general’s office, the federal highway police that also operates bridges and airports, federal, state and local police forces, and “Interpol, as well”.
“The bribes for officials in Mexico City were about US$300,000 per month,” the 57-year-old said, wearing a blue prison suit with an orange shirt.
Zambada said he once paid a US$100,000 bribe to General Gilberto Toledano, in charge of the state of Guerrero, at Guzman’s request.