The Mexican government has issued an arrest warrant for Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of infamous Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, accusing him of kidnapping fellow cartel boss Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and delivering him to U.S. authorities. Guzmán López, already in U.S. custody in Chicago, faces new charges of kidnapping and illegal deprivation of liberty within Mexican territory, allegedly to hand over Zambada to U.S. law enforcement.

The Mexican Attorney General’s office announced the charges on Wednesday, confirming that they have identified the vehicles, property, and the airstrip used in the abduction. The allegations follow last month’s dramatic incident where Guzmán López reportedly flew Zambada, 76, to a small airfield near El Paso, Texas, where both were arrested by U.S. authorities. Zambada, one of the most powerful figures in the narcotics trade, is accused of overseeing the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the U.S.

Zambada has vehemently denied voluntarily surrendering to U.S. authorities, claiming in a recent jailhouse letter that he was ambushed and forcibly kidnapped by Guzmán López at a ranch in Sinaloa before being flown to the U.S. His attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, criticized the Mexican government’s charges against Guzmán López, arguing that they were focusing on the wrong individual. Lichtman highlighted the irony of prosecuting Guzmán López, who allegedly helped bring Zambada to justice, while Zambada has evaded capture for decades despite his extensive criminal activities.

The case has strained U.S.-Mexico relations, with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressing frustration over the U.S.’s handling of the situation. As both Guzmán López and Zambada remain in U.S. custody, their cases continue to unfold amid intense scrutiny from both sides of the border. Both men have pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges, leaving the future of the kidnapping case uncertain.