The co-founder of Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa drug cartel was reportedly arrested in New Mexico on Thursday during a U.S. law enforcement operation.

KTSM 9 News reported that drug kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who is in his late 70s and reportedly in poor health, was taken into custody at the Santa Teresa International Jetport in New Mexico which is right next to El Paso, Texas.

Zambada has been on the run from U.S. law enforcement for decades after he started the drug cartel with drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who was sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. in 2019.

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The New York Times reported that Zambada and drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of El Chapo who is believed to have been elevated to a leadership role in the drug cartel, both surrendered to U.S. law enforcement officials at the small airport.

Both men face numerous charges in the U.S. for leading the cartel’s criminal operations that include pumping billions of dollars worth of drugs onto America’s streets, including being the primary drug cartel responsible for flooding illicit U.S. drug markets with fentanyl.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the two were part of “one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world.”

“El Mayo and Guzman Lopez join a growing list of Sinaloa Cartel leaders and associates who the Justice Department is holding accountable in the United States,” the statement said. “That includes the Cartel’s other cofounder, Joaquin Guzman Loera, or ‘El Chapo’; another of El Chapo’s sons and an alleged Cartel leader, Ovidio Guzman Lopez; and the Cartel’s alleged lead sicario, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, or ‘El Nini.'”

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable,” the statement added.

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“Veep” showrunner Dave Mandel reacted to the increased viewership of the HBO political satire series after clips went viral following President Joe Biden’s announcement he was out of the race and endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Mandel — who took over as showrunner in Season 5 of “Veep” — said he was thrilled to see the clips of the Emmy-winning series recently circulating after Biden’s announcement as fans compare the “Veep” fictional character Selina Meyer (played actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to Harris.

“Today, there may be more people checking out ‘Veep,’ and I can’t think of anything better,” Mandel said. “I hope they are enjoying. The crazier politics gets, the more Veep holds up!”

“Politics seem fun again,” he added. “I don’t wake up dreading looking at the news. I wake up wondering what’s going on. How much money has Kamala Harris raised so far? All of a sudden, things seem enjoyable.”

And as far as people comparing Meyer and Harris, Mandel said, “Yes, they are both women. Yes, they are both VPs being elevated.”

‘Veep’ Is Going Viral (Again): David Mandel Talks Kamala Harris and If He’d Revisit the Series https://t.co/EOTZtebS1Z

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 24, 2024

“Selina was elevated into office; Kamala is being elevated to head of the ticket,” the showrunner explained. “There are some simple comparisons. But there are two types of people doing ‘Veep’ memes right now: There are people really enjoying Selina’s moment of telling her staff that she’s running for president…and then there are a**holes who are using it differently.”

Over the last few years, Harris has become well-known for her word salads and nonsensical phrases. One such example happened last month when a clip of her speaking about culture at the Essence Magazine “Festival of Culture” in New Orleans went viral.

“Culture is — it is a reflection of our moment and our time, right? And present culture is the way we express how we’re feeling about the moment and we should always find times to express how we feel about the moment,” Harris said. “That is a reflection of joy. ‘Cause you know…it comes in the morning.”

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The show — which wrapped up after seven seasons in 2019 — has seen renewed interest with viewership increased by 353% on Monday compared to the previous day, as previously reported. It happened 24 hours after Biden said he would no longer seek reelection. Viewers watched 2.2 million total minutes of the series on MAX Monday compared to 486,000 total minutes the day before.

In the show, which ran from 2012 until 2019, the president resigns, leaving Meyer to ascend the office herself and later launch her own campaign.

Amanda Harding contributed to this piece.

Related: ‘Veep’ Viewership Increases 350% After Harris Enters Presidential Race