Sinaloa Cartel Co-Founder Ismael Zambada Sentenced to Life in US Prison
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, one of Mexico's most notorious drug cartel leaders, has been sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay $15 billion by a US judge.
US District Judge Brian Cogan on Monday sentenced Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to life in prison during a hearing in Brooklyn federal court. Zambada, 76, co-founded the violent Sinaloa Cartel with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán in the late 1980s. He was also ordered to forfeit $15 billion (£11 billion) in drug trafficking profits.
Zambada was arrested in July 2024 after being lured to the US in an elaborate sting. El Chapo's son, Joaquin Guzmán López, convinced him they were traveling to northern Mexico to inspect clandestine airstrips, but the plane landed in Texas instead. Zambada later reached a plea deal, admitting to drug smuggling and conspiracy charges to avoid the death penalty. Guzmán López was also arrested and has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges, with sentencing pending.
According to the US Justice Department, Zambada accepted responsibility for building a vast criminal enterprise that has flooded the US with cocaine and other drugs since the cartel's founding. “Ismael Zambada García spent nearly four decades poisoning American communities to make billions of dollars in profit and ordering the murders of anyone who stood in his way,” said US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Today, that chapter closes for good.”
Since Zambada's capture, the Sinaloa Cartel has been engulfed in internal warfare, with hundreds of people reported missing in clashes between rival factions. Similar violence followed El Chapo's arrest and extradition to the US in 2016; he is also serving a life sentence.
A point of contention has been where Zambada will serve his sentence. He has requested placement in a prison hospital due to age-related health issues. Federal prosecutors, however, argue for higher security, saying he remains a threat and could continue to direct drug operations. The Federal Bureau of Prisons will make the final decision.
On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump announced increased pressure on Mexico and cartels, including designating them as terrorist groups. The US also accused the governor of Sinaloa of conspiring with cartel traffickers. Mexico has responded by sending thousands of troops to the state.
