Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
Notorious drug lord El Chapo and his henchmen forked out 2.3 million GBP in bribes to former Mexican presidents and officials – including former Mexican President Vicente Fox – according to bombshell claims in a controversial new book.
Investigative journalist Anabel Hernandez made the claims in her new book ‘The Traitor: The Secret Money Of Mayo’s Son’.
![](https://viraltab.news/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/CEN-ChapoGovernment-01-1024x580.jpg)
In the book, Hernandez said that drug lords Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman and Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, who headed the deadly Sinaloa Cartel, bribed government officials and civil servants over many years, including members of President Vicente Fox’s government.
The alleged bribes were to secure safe transportation of narcotics and for the authorities to turn a blind eye to other criminal activities, according to Hernandez.
In the book, the journalist claims that Zambada’s brother, Jesus ‘El Rey’ Zambada Garcia, may have given as much as three million USD (2.3 million GBP) to a civil servant of Fox’s government.
Former Secretary of Public Security Genaro Garcia Luna was named in the book as the recipient of the alleged sum.
The book includes statements from 44-year-old Vicente Zambada Niebla, alias El Vicentillo, the son of ‘El Mayo’.
![](https://viraltab.news/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/CEN-ChapoMother-03-1-1024x605.jpg)
El Vicentillo was arrested in 2009 and was extradited to Chicago in the US the following year.
In May this year, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Due to his cooperation in testifying against several members of the Sinaloa Cartel, his conviction term was reduced.
Hernandez also said the cartel continued to bribe the next government that was headed by President Felipe Calderon from 2006 to 2012.
Despite Calderon declaring war on drug traffickers, the journalist accused him of “receiving millions of dollars in bribes”.
The book also included a letter from El Vicentillo where he mentioned monthly payments to state officials and heads of the state, municipal, federal and judicial police forces for them to allegedly turn a blind eye to the cartel’s activities.
It was also claimed that monthly payments were made to public prosecutors.
During El Chapo’s trial in the US which began in November 2018, Jesus ‘El Rey’ Zambada Garcia reportedly said that he had personally bribed Garcia Luna and had paid six million USD (4.6 million GBP) to an unspecified former president when he was in office.
El Vicentillo said during the trial that he met with “high level” politicians and representatives of the petrol company Pemex about using their ships to transport cocaine, according to the book.
Hernandez’s book also said that El Mayo was the true leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, even more so than El Chapo.
So far, Vicente Fox has yet to comment on the allegations. Last year, Garcia Luna and Felipe Calderon both denied the claims in press statements.
The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.