Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada Garcia, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, received a life sentence after pleading guilty to operating a continuing criminal enterprise and RICO violations. The court ordered $15 billion in forfeiture. Prosecutors said Zambada ordered torture and murders and helped supply large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine to the U.S. market. At 76, he apologized in court and has asked to serve his term in a prison hospital due to health issues.
'El Mayo' Zambada Sentenced To Life In U.S.; Court Orders $15 Billion Forfeiture
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Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada Garcia, a founding leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to operating a continuing criminal enterprise and violating the RICO statute. A federal judge also ordered the forfeiture of $15 billion in connection with the case.
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'Ismael Zambada Garcia spent nearly four decades poisoning American communities to make billions of dollars in profit and ordering the murders of anyone who stood in his way. Today, that chapter closes for good,' said Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. 'He will spend the rest of his life in a United States prison, exactly where he belongs. This sentence was made possible by the tireless bilateral cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement. We hope that today's sentence brings some measure of justice to the countless victims of the Sinaloa Cartel's narcotics trafficking and violence.'
The sentence was handed down on Monday (July 20). Prosecutors described the 76-year-old Zambada as the cartel's chief strategist and dealmaker, alleging he repeatedly used violence when it benefited him and ordered torture and murders, including the killing of a relative. Federal authorities say the Sinaloa Cartel has been a major supplier of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine to the U.S. market.
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Zambada, who was arrested in 2024, pleaded guilty to being a principal leader of a continuing criminal enterprise and to RICO-related charges. His conviction and life term follow the 2019 conviction of fellow co-founder Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, who is serving a life sentence in a federal prison in Florence, Colorado.
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Appearing in Brooklyn federal court, Zambada apologized for the harm his organization caused and urged an end to the cycles of drug-related violence. 'Nobody wins in a war like this,' he said, asking people not to get involved in the drug trade and calling for violence to stop.
The defendant has requested placement in a prison hospital, citing age-related health issues and a need for ongoing medical care. Officials noted the sentence reflects years of cross-border investigative work and aims to provide accountability to victims affected by the cartel's trafficking and violence.
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