Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, co-founder and historic leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, pleaded guilty Monday in a New York federal court to two counts of drug trafficking, money laundering and weapons charges after more than five decades of criminal activity.
Zambada, who was charged with a total of 17 counts, thus acknowledges having led a criminal organization – the Sinaloa Cartel – continuously from January 1989 to January 2024 and having conspired under the Rico Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), due to his involvement in drug-related money laundering, murders and kidnappings.
El Mayo’ pleads guilty in the U.S.
With this guilty plea, ‘El Mayo’ avoids being prosecuted in a public trial.
But he loses his right to revoke the sentence that Judge Brian M. Cogan will impose on him, which is likely to be life imprisonment.
Although the official date for the hearing has been set for January 13 of next year, the magistrate stressed to the ‘capo’ that each of the crimes he has pleaded guilty to carries a life sentence.
In addition, Judge Cogan detailed that the U.S. government valued at $15 billion the property and assets that Zambada had generated during his half-century of illicit activities.
And that he would now have to provide to the U.S. Justice.
“I recognize the great harm that drugs have done to the United States, Mexico and elsewhere.
“I take responsibility and apologize to those who have been affected by my actions,” said Zambada.
In a lengthy statement in which ‘El Mayo’ Zambada pleaded guilty, he also said he had “promoted the corruption of police, military and politicians” in Mexico.
The hearing in the New York courtroom lasted about 45 minutes with about 30 journalists in attendance and dozens of DEA agents and court officials.
The former number 2 of the Sinaloa Cartel, after his former partner Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, was not accompanied in court by any family member, as has happened with judicial sessions of other drug leaders in previous trials.
With information from Efe news agency
