Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the notorious Mexican drug lord, has pleaded guilty to two counts of drug smuggling and conspiracy in a New York court, marking a significant end to a criminal career spanning decades in organized crime.
Zambada’s influence extends beyond that of a typical drug lord.
He was a founding member of the Sinaloa Cartel, an organization that rose to become Mexico’s largest and most powerful criminal enterprise, with a far-reaching global presence.
After initially pleading not guilty last year to a series of charges including drug smuggling, gun-running, and money laundering, Zambada changed his plea before a federal judge in Brooklyn.
This admission signifies his acceptance of responsibility for creating the vast criminal network that has facilitated the flow of substantial quantities of cocaine and other illicit substances into the United States since the cartel’s inception in the late 1980s.
According to the Associated Press, Zambada expressed remorse for his actions during the court proceedings.
“I recognize the great harm illegal drugs have done to the people in the United States and Mexico,” he stated through a Spanish-language interpreter, as reported by the AP. “I apologize for all of it, and I take responsibility for my actions.”
Local Mexican media sources indicate that Zambada also admitted that “the organization that I headed fed corruption in my country by paying police, military commanders and politicians who allowed us to operate freely.”
This development follows the US prosecution’s confirmation weeks prior that they would not seek the death penalty against the 77-year-old Mexican kingpin.
Zambada’s arrest in Texas last year was the result of a remarkable betrayal by the sons of his former ally, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the Sinaloa Cartel’s co-founder who is currently incarcerated.
El Chapo received a life sentence in the same court in 2019.
Following Zambada’s arrest, the cartel experienced a schism, dividing into two primary factions: one under El Mayo’s leadership and the other led by Guzmán’s sons, known as “Los Chapitos.” The conflict between these factions continues to escalate, particularly within the state of Sinaloa.
In late July 2024, Zambada was reportedly enticed to a meeting with Joaquín Guzmán López, one of El Chapo’s sons.
Initial reports suggest that Guzmán López deceived his rival into boarding a light aircraft. However, Zambada later asserted that he was ambushed and subdued by Los Chapitos, who forcibly transported him to Texas.
US law enforcement officials were present when the aircraft landed near El Paso, and both men were promptly taken into custody.
By entering a guilty plea, Zambada is anticipated to receive a reduced sentence. Given his advanced age and reported ill health, he may have concluded that continuing to assert his innocence was futile, especially in light of Guzmán’s conviction and life sentence in 2019.
“El Mayo will spend the rest of his life behind bars. He will die in a US federal prison where he belongs,” US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated to reporters.
It was confirmed last year that both of Guzmán’s sons—Joaquín and his younger brother, Ovidio—were engaged in plea bargain negotiations with the US government.
In May, 17 members of the Guzmán family were escorted into the US by officials. Last month, Ovidio pleaded guilty in Chicago to multiple charges of drug smuggling and involvement in a continuing criminal enterprise.
At the height of his power, Zambada was arguably the world’s most influential drug lord.
More enigmatic than other prominent figures—particularly El Chapo, whose prison escapes in 2001 and 2015 captured global attention—Zambada was no less ruthless or calculating.
For approximately five decades, he successfully evaded arrest or capture, overseeing the transportation of vast quantities of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine into the US through land, sea, and air routes.
Now, within a US courtroom, a figure synonymous with global drug trafficking has acknowledged his role at the helm of one of the world’s most expansive and sophisticated criminal networks.
His sentencing is scheduled for January 2026.
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