Zambada Case Study

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada is a Mexican drug lord kingpin and has been on Mexico’s most wanted list for decades. Better known as Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s right hand, Zambada took lead of the Sinaloa cartel after El Chapo’s arrest back in 2016. Born on the countryside of Sinaloa, Zambada entered the drug trade from a very young age (Planas, 2016). For decades he worked in what is presumed to be the largest drug trafficking network operation of our time and rose the ranks aiding the infamous drug lord El Chapo. While both were at large, Zambada was considered the brains of the operation while Guzman was considered the muscle (Planas, 2016). However, unlike his partner, he has continued to keep a low profile and has only ever been interviewed once by Julio S Garcia in 2010 where he told the reporter he fears capture and had 4 encounters with mexican troops where he was almost caught but was able to flee since he knew the terrain and land very well (Planas, 2016). In his older life (now), his sons and daughters also aid him in the cartel holding high ranks. No one

Firstly, from what is know, he grew up going into the drug trade, and it can only be presumed his father must have had some correlation with it as well. He thus, had negative early experiences and found solace by going into the trade. From there he continued to do this for decades, having people killed, trafficking drugs etc (making bad choices and influencing his cognition) and finally kept this pattern of “rule breaking” by continuing to do what he is doing and even putting his own children into this realm. While it's safe to say this theory can possibly explain why Zambada exhibits criminal behavior it's important to note that this is just a possibility and that the theory itself, like any, flaws in expanding beyond thinking errors made by individuals and does not explain why they do what they