El Mayo,” the elderly Mexican drug lord who took over “El Chapo’s” notorious cartel, skirted the death penalty in Brooklyn federal court Monday — after admitting to murdering “many innocent people.”
“Narco terrorist” Ismael Zambada, 75, the once shameless righthand man of the ruthless former Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin Guzman, apologized for the duo’s decades-long drug trade while pleading guilty to a count each of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and racketeering conspiracy.
Mexican drug kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada cops a plea deal in Brooklyn federal court Monday. REUTERS
“Narco terrorist” Ismael Zambada, 75, the once shameless righthand man of the ruthless former Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin Guzman, apologized for the duo’s decades-long drug trade. Paul Martinka“I recognize the great harm that illegal drugs have done to the people of the United States and Mexico and elsewhere,” Zambada told the judge.
“I take responsibility for my role in all of this. I apologize to anyone who has suffered from my actions.”
Zambada’s plea — which carries a mandatory life sentence — comes after federal prosecutors took the death penalty off the table. The cartel, which he helped Guzman found, was designated a foreign terrorist organization by President Trump earlier this year.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi called the plea a “landmark victory” for the Department of Justice as she taunted the jailed drug lord.
“This guy El Mayo was living like a king, and now he’s living like a criminal for the rest of his life,” she said during a press conference during a visit to New York City on Monday afternoon. “He was living in a palace and now he’s going to be living in a prison.”
Prosecutors said the cartel engulfed the US with heroin, cocaine, fentanyl and other drugs for decades, with El Mayo admitting Monday that the illicit enterprise smuggled at least 1.5 million kilos of cocaine stateside since the 1980s.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi called the plea a “landmark victory” for the Department of Justice as she taunted the jailed drug lord. Gregory P. Mango
El Mayo was El Chapo’s successor with the Sinaloa Cartel. AP
Prosecutors said the cartel engulfed the US with heroin, cocaine, fentanyl and other drugs for decades, with El Mayo admitting Monday that the illicit enterprise smuggled at least 1.5 million kilos of cocaine stateside since the 1980s. Paul Martinka“During my more than 50 years in this activity, I created a large criminal network that I directed and led, which became known as the Sinaloa cartel,” he said during the proceeding.
Authorities said that as Zambada helped run the sprawling drug enterprise, he oversaw a highly militarized gang that had a private security force and a slew of hitmen ready to assassinate, torture and kidnap.
Zambada, who had on a dark-blue prison jumpsuit over an orange long-sleeve shirt in court, admitted as part of his plea deal to directing his minions to kill others, including “many innocent people,” to forge ahead the “interest of my organization.”
He admitted as part of his plea deal to directing his minions to kill others, including “many innocent people,” to forge ahead the “interest of my organization.”
He said the cartel scooped up hundreds of millions of dollars each year during the expansive drug operation.
When District Judge Brian Cogan asked if Zambada understood he would spend the rest of his life in prison, the defendant replied in Spanish, “Si,Senor.”
El Mayo was arrested in July 2024.
The guilty plea took place in downtown Brooklyn. OLGA FEDOROVA/EPA/ShutterstockBondi, during the press conference, said the feds would keep aggressively pursuing cartel bosses who she called “international narco terrorists.
“We are calling these drug kingpins what they are — international narco terrorists that invade our country, threaten the sovereignty of our borders and destroy our communities,” she said. “They are terrorists, and we will prosecute them like they are terrorists.”
Zambada’s lawyer, Frank Perez, said his client “accepts full responsibility for what he did wrong,” while stressing he is not a cooperating witness for federal authorities.
“My client is also mindful of the impact of this case on his home state of Sinaloa. He calls upon the people of Sinaloa to remain calm, to exercise restraint, and to avoid violence,” Perez said in a statement.
Ismael Zambada’s attorney leaving a courthouse. Paul Martinka
Zambada’s lawyer, Frank Perez, said his client “accepts full responsibility for what he did wrong,” while stressing he is not a cooperating witness for federal authorities. Paul Martinka“Nothing is gained by bloodshed; it only deepens wounds and prolongs suffering. He urges his community to look instead toward peace and stability for the future of the state.”
The cartel kingpin, along with one of El Chapo’s sons, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, flew to Texas on July 24, 2024, and was arrested on the spot.
While authorities said Zambada was tricked into jumping on the flight, he claimed he was “kidnapped” and forced to fly to the US.
Zambada, whose case was moved from Texas to Brooklyn after his arrest, faced a slew of federal counts, including murder conspiracy.
Another son of El Chapo, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in July – becoming the first of the drug lord’s sons to fall.
El Chapo is serving a life sentence after he was convicted in 2019 of heading the drug trafficking operation that flooded the US with billions of dollars worth of deadly narcotics.
