A U.S. federal judge on Thursday postponed the sentencing date of Mexican drug trafficker Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada by three months, to April 13, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., following a request from his defense, according to the online judicial platform.
Zambada’s lawyer, Frank Perez, had requested more time to prepare documents for the sentencing hearing, initially scheduled for Jan. 13, because of difficulties in gathering information he said was related to the “violence and instability” in Mexico, a motion said.
Mayo Zambada’s sentencing postponed
🚨 ‘El Mayo’ Zambada wins time: judge authorizes postponing sentencing hearing in #US to April 2026.
Judge Brian Cogan accepted the extension request from the drug lord’s lawyer, Frank Perez, who argued that it was complicated to obtain evidence and testimony because of the “violence and… pic.twitter.com/WNfz7KGbSU
– Luis Alberto Medina (@elalbertomedina) December 11, 2025
Judge Brian Cogan ruled that the defense of Zambada, who pleaded guilty in August to two counts of drug trafficking, money laundering and use of weapons, must turn over those documents by March 30, 2026, and the prosecution has a rebuttal deadline of April 6.
The defense indicated that it had “logistical difficulties in arranging conversations, obtaining letters and securing other essential background information from witnesses and family members” of Zambada due to “travel and communication delays” and late confirmations of availability.
He also indicated that the deputy prosecutor assigned to the case, Francisco Navarro, had not opposed his request.
Mayo Zambada, co-founder and historic leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, who was initially charged with 17 counts, acknowledged in his plea agreement that he led a criminal organization from 1989 to 2024 and engaged in criminal activities linked to drug trafficking.
The former right-hand man of drug trafficker Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, who has been linked to drug trafficking for more than half a century, has been indicted in 16 U.S. federal courts since 2009, and the two charges for which he was indicted carry a life sentence.
Mayo Zambada was arrested in July 2024 after landing at Santa Teresa airport (New Mexico, USA) in a small plane with Joaquín Guzmán López, one of El Chapo’s sons, who, according to El Mayo, set him up to take him to the United States and hand him over to the authorities.
Filed under: Mayo Zambada’s Sentence Postponed
With information from EFE
