Ismael Zambada García, identified as “El Mayo,” was sentenced to life in prison in US federal court on Monday after accepting a plea agreement that included admissions of racketeering conspiracy and continuing criminal enterprise. The 76-year-old Mexican drug kingpin, who co-founded and led the Sinaloa cartel, was also ordered to forfeit $15 billion in proceeds from drug trafficking. The case proceeded in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, under the supervision of US District Judge Brian Cogan, who also presided over the trial of fellow Sinaloa leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, sentenced to life in 2019.
Zambada pleaded guilty last August after federal prosecutors declined to seek capital punishment. According to prosecutors, the defendant trafficked substantial quantities of cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and fentanyl to the United States and internationally. Authorities also accused him of leading a criminal organization responsible for corrupting Mexican politicians, military officials, and law enforcement personnel. Unlike El Chapo, who became the public face of the cartel, Zambada maintained a low profile and operated primarily behind the scenes as the organization’s strategic leader.
During the sentencing proceeding, Zambada read a statement in which he acknowledged responsibility for his crimes and called for an end to violence linked to Mexico’s drug conflict. His legal team did not seek cooperation agreements with US authorities, and he provided no information about other cartel members or officials to either American or Mexican officials. Prosecutors expressed concerns that adequate security measures would be necessary regardless of his incarceration location, citing the possibility that individuals loyal to the defendant continue operating cartel activities.
Defense attorneys requested placement in a federal medical facility rather than a traditional prison, citing Zambada’s age and health conditions. Mexican media outlets have reported that Zambada experiences early-stage dementia, though the judge noted cognitive concerns during the hearing. The Bureau of Prisons will determine the facility for his sentence.
Zambada’s 2024 arrest, marked by kidnapping and cross-border transport by a son of El Chapo, subsequently triggered internal conflicts within the Sinaloa cartel. His sentencing occurs amid intensified US pressure on Mexico to combat criminal organizations, with the Trump administration having designated the Sinaloa cartel as a terrorist group and threatened military intervention.