Sinaloa cartel leader El Mayo Zambada sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges
A federal judge sentenced Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, the longtime leader and strategist of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa cartel, to life in prison Monday after he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges.
Zambada, 76, was one of the cartel’s longest-serving figures and admitted to participating in drug trafficking operations for more than five decades. Prosecutors said he oversaw a massive criminal network responsible for moving large quantities of narcotics while also being linked to violent acts including murders and kidnappings.
His sentence was subject to a mandatory life term because of the scale of the drug operation, which included the trafficking of at least 1.5 million kilograms of cocaine. As part of his plea agreement, Zambada also agreed to a $15 billion forfeiture order.
Zambada pleaded guilty in July 2025 after prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty. He had faced numerous indictments across the United States over more than two decades.
U.S. officials said Zambada was captured after being lured onto a plane that landed in the United States, where he was arrested alongside Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Zambada did not seek a sentence below the mandatory minimum but asked that he be placed in a federal prison facility capable of addressing undisclosed medical needs. Prosecutors did not oppose the request.
His attorneys said Zambada is not cooperating with U.S. authorities or any other government. Through his lawyer, he urged residents of his home state of Sinaloa to avoid violence and called for peace and stability following his conviction.
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