Ismael Zambada García has been sentenced to life in prison for his role as a primary leader of the Sinaloa cartel.
Ismael Zambada García, the 76-year-old Mexican drug kingpin known as "El Mayo," was sentenced to life in prison by a federal court in Brooklyn on Monday. The sentencing follows a plea deal in which Zambada admitted to racketeering conspiracy and leading a continuing criminal enterprise, specifically trafficking vast amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl to the United States. As part of the agreement, the court ordered Zambada to forfeit $15 billion in drug trade profits. Zambada, who co-founded the Sinaloa cartel alongside Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, was captured in 2024 after being lured onto a private plane by Guzmán’s son. While Zambada accepted responsibility for his crimes and urged the next generation of traffickers to choose paths less defined by violence, his defense team requested a medical facility for his incarceration due to early-stage dementia. The administration announced that it has escalated pressure on Mexico to crack down on these criminal groups, even designating the Sinaloa cartel as a terrorist organization. Despite his imprisonment, experts suggest the cartel remains active as rival factions continue to battle for territory in Mexico.