Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada sentenced to life in US prison
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, the 76‑year‑old co‑founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, was sentenced on 20 July 2026 to life imprisonment without parole by U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan in the Brooklyn federal court. Zambada had pleaded guilty in August 2025 to a rack of charges, including racketeering conspiracy, drug‑trafficking and continuing criminal enterprise, after the Justice Department agreed not to seek the death penalty.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of about $15 billion in assets that prosecutors say represent the proceeds of the cartel’s decades‑long narcotics operations. During the hearing Zambada expressed remorse, apologising to victims and urging an end to violence in Mexico. His defense asked that he be placed in a medical‑facility prison because of his age and health, while prosecutors argued for a high‑security facility. The sentence marks the latest high‑profile U.S. conviction of a Mexican drug‑lord and intensifies ongoing U.S.–Mexico tensions over cartel activity.