Once elusive Mexican drug kingpin ‘El Mayo’ Zambada pleads guilty in US

Charges subordinate to his decades-long engagement successful starring the Sinaloa cartel and its relation successful funnelling drugs to the US.

Former Mexican cause kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada has pleaded blameworthy to United States charges related to his decades-long enactment of the convulsive and notorious Sinaloa cartel and its relation successful flooding the US with drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.

Zambada, the alleged co-founder of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, pleaded blameworthy connected Monday successful national tribunal successful Brooklyn, New York to charges that helium engaged successful a racketeering conspiracy and ran a continuing transgression endeavor that prosecutors said was liable for importing and distributing monolithic quantities of drugs.

Those charges stemmed from his decades-long relation starring the Sinaloa cartel alongside imprisoned cause lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is serving a beingness condemnation successful a maximum information situation successful Colorado.

US instrumentality enforcement officers basal extracurricular a national courthouse, up of the plea proceeding of alleged Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada connected drug-trafficking charges, successful Brooklyn, New York, the US [Brendan McDermid/Reuters]

Zambada agreed to plead blameworthy aft the US Justice Department this period said it would not question the decease punishment for him oregon for Rafael Caro Quintero, different septuagenarian alleged Mexican cause lord facing US charges.

“I recognise the large harm amerciable drugs person done to the radical successful the United States and Mexico,” helium said done a Spanish-language interpreter. “I apologise for each of it, and I instrumentality work for my actions.”

In pleading guilty, Zambada acknowledged the grade of the Sinaloa operation, including underlings who built relationships with cocaine producers successful Colombia and who oversaw the importation of cocaine to Mexico by vessel and level and the smuggling of the cause crossed the US.-Mexico border.

He besides acknowledged that radical moving for him paid bribes to Mexican constabulary and subject commanders “so they could run freely,” going each the mode backmost to erstwhile the cartel was conscionable starting out.

Zambada was arrested successful July 2024 alongside Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 1 of Joaquin Guzman’s sons, aft the level successful which they were travelling landed astatine a tiny airstrip successful New Mexico. Zambada’s lawyer has said Guzman Lopez kidnapped Zambada, which the Guzman household lawyer has denied.

Guzman Lopez has pleaded not blameworthy to US cause trafficking charges. US prosecutors person said they would not question the decease punishment for him if helium is convicted.

Mexico this period sent much than 2 twelve suspected cartel members to the US, amid rising unit from US President Donald Trump connected Mexico to dismantle the country’s almighty cause organisations. Mexico has said it received assurances from the US Justice Department that it would not question the decease punishment for them.

The charges Zambada pleaded blameworthy to were contained successful 2 abstracted indictments the US Justice Department had secured against him, 1 successful New York and different successful Texas. The Texas lawsuit was precocious transferred to New York up of the blameworthy plea.