NEW YORK (BN24) — Former Mexican cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, once one of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world, pleaded guilty Monday in a U.S. federal court to orchestrating murders, drug shipments and bribery schemes during his decades at the helm of the Sinaloa cartel.
The 75-year-old kingpin, who led the cartel alongside the notorious Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, admitted before U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan in Brooklyn that he directed a violent criminal empire responsible for smuggling more than 1.5 million kilograms of cocaine, as well as heroin and fentanyl, into the United States. Zambada faces a mandatory life sentence following his guilty plea to racketeering conspiracy and running a continuing criminal enterprise.
Reuters’ report states that sporting gray hair, a beard, and prison-issued clothing, Zambada appeared frail as he walked into the packed courtroom filled with Drug Enforcement Administration officials and other U.S. agents. Speaking softly through a Spanish interpreter, he acknowledged his role in decades of violence and corruption, including ordering assassinations and bribing politicians and police in Mexico to shield cartel operations.
“Many innocent people also died,” Zambada said in Spanish while reading a prepared statement. “I apologize to everyone who has suffered or has been affected by my actions.”
Zambada’s plea deal came after the Justice Department confirmed earlier this month that it would not pursue the death penalty against him or Rafael Caro Quintero, another aging Mexican cartel boss facing U.S. prosecution. His sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2026.
Zambada, who began his criminal career in 1969 planting marijuana, was arrested in July 2024 after landing on a remote New Mexico airstrip with Joaquin Guzman Lopez, one of El Chapo’s sons. While Guzman Lopez has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges, U.S. prosecutors have said they will not seek the death penalty in his case either.
The guilty plea comes amid heightened pressure from President Donald Trump on Mexico to dismantle its most violent drug organizations. In recent weeks, Mexico extradited more than two dozen suspected cartel operatives to the United States after receiving assurances they would not face capital punishment.
Zambada’s lawyer, Frank Perez, said his client is not cooperating with U.S. authorities. Even so, the guilty plea marks a dramatic downfall for a man who evaded capture for decades and remained a shadowy figure at the top of the cartel long after El Chapo’s arrest and extradition.
