Mexican drug lord Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada sentenced to life in US prison

US justice hands beingness condemnation to Ismael Zambada for starring 1 of Mexico’s astir convulsive cause cartels for decades.

Mexican cause kingpin Ismael “El ⁠Mayo” Zambada has been sentenced to beingness successful situation successful the United States, aft a plea woody past twelvemonth successful which helium admitted to shipping millions ⁠of kilogrammes of cocaine implicit decades arsenic person of the convulsive Sinaloa Cartel.

US District Judge Brian Cogan handed down the condemnation connected Monday astatine a proceeding successful a US national tribunal successful Brooklyn, New York. Zambada is 1 of the astir high-profile Mexican cause traffickers to beryllium sentenced successful a US tribunal since chap Sinaloa person Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was sentenced to beingness successful situation successful 2019.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Mexico’s Sheinbaum questions US claims of cause ties to Sinaloa governor
• list 2 of 3Who are Mexico’s apical cartel bosses killed oregon arrested successful caller years?
• list 3 of 3Is the US arming Mexican cartels?

Zambada, 76, agreed to plead blameworthy successful August 2025 to charges including racketeering conspiracy and continuing transgression endeavor aft the US Justice Department said it would not question the decease penalty.

The charges carried a mandatory beingness sentence. Zambada was arrested successful July 2024 alongside Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 1 of Guzman’s sons, ⁠after their level landed astatine a tiny airstrip successful New ⁠Mexico. Guzman Lopez has since pleaded blameworthy to cause trafficking charges.

A photograph of erstwhile Sinaloa Cartel person Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the lad of notorious cartel person ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, being detained by national agents is displayed successful Santa Teresa, New Mexico, the US, July 9, 2026 [File: Paul Ratje/Reuters]

A Justice Department connection said Judge Cogan sentenced Zambada to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole for his relation arsenic a main person of a “continuing transgression enterprise” and for racketeering violations.

“Ismael Zambada Garcia spent astir 4 decades poisoning American communities to marque billions of dollars successful nett and ordering the murders of anyone who stood successful his way. Today, that section closes for good,” US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella, Jr was quoted arsenic saying.

Frank Perez, a lawyer for Zambada, said successful a July 6 tribunal filing that his lawsuit was afloat alert helium would person a beingness condemnation ⁠when helium decided to judge work for his crimes. Perez asked Cogan to urge to the Bureau of Prisons that ⁠the septuagenarian Zambada beryllium placed successful a installation ⁠where helium would person capable aesculapian care.

Prosecutors with the Brooklyn US Attorney’s Office said the prisons suggested by Perez whitethorn not beryllium equipped to grip the information concerns posed by Zambada, including the anticipation that helium ‌could proceed to nonstop cartel activities from down bars.

“Those information concerns volition proceed for the foreseeable aboriginal due to the fact that individuals loyal to the suspect proceed to power the Cartel,” ‌the ‌prosecutors wrote successful a July 13 filing.

Guzman is serving his beingness condemnation astatine a maximum-security situation successful the US authorities of Colorado.