Brooklyn, Aug. 25 — Former Mexican drug kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, once the elusive leader of the Sinaloa cartel, admitted in a U.S. courtroom on Monday to orchestrating murders and trafficking massive quantities of narcotics during his decades at the helm of one of the world’s most violent criminal organizations.
Zambada, 75, pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to charges of racketeering conspiracy and operating a continuing criminal enterprise. Prosecutors said the cartel under his command shipped more than 1.5 million kilograms of cocaine, as well as heroin and fentanyl, into the United States — generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually and leaving a trail of bloodshed.
“They brutally murdered multiple people and flooded our country with drugs,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said after the hearing. “Their reign of terror is over. He will never walk free again.”
A Life of Crime
Entering the courtroom in prison attire and walking with a slight limp, Zambada spoke softly through a Spanish interpreter, recounting how his criminal career began at age 19 when he planted his first marijuana crop in 1969. He admitted to ordering killings of rivals, bribing Mexican politicians and police, and presiding over the cartel’s rise alongside Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who is serving a life sentence in Colorado.
“Many innocent people also died,” Zambada said, reading from a prepared statement. “I apologize to everyone who has suffered or has been affected by my actions.”
His attorney, Frank Perez, stressed that Zambada is not cooperating with U.S. authorities.
Arrest and Sentencing
Zambada was arrested in July 2024 in New Mexico, alongside Joaquín Guzmán López, son of El Chapo. While Guzmán López has pleaded not guilty to trafficking charges, prosecutors have said they will not seek the death penalty if he is convicted.
Zambada’s sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2026, and he faces a mandatory life sentence.
The guilty plea comes as President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Mexico to dismantle its powerful cartels. Earlier this month, Mexico extradited more than two dozen suspected cartel members to the United States, after securing assurances from the Justice Department that none would face the death penalty.
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