Sinaloa Leader El Mayo Zambada Jailed for Life

A federal court in Brooklyn has sentenced Mexican drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to life in prison. One of the founders and longtime leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel pleaded guilty last year to leading a criminal enterprise and smuggling millions of kilograms of cocaine into the United States.

In exchange for his guilty plea, the US Department of Justice withdrew its request for the death penalty, although federal law still required a mandatory life sentence.

Zambada, 76, was arrested in July 2024 after his plane landed in New Mexico with Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of convicted drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

Prosecutors argued that Zambada remains a security risk even after his arrest because his supporters continue to control the Sinaloa Cartel. The court therefore denied the defense's request to transfer him to a lower-security prison.

(Reuters, mja)