Ismael Zambada Garcia, known as “El Mayo,” pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to leading the Sinaloa Cartel and to racketeering charges. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan.
Zambada Garcia faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment without parole for his role as a principal leader of a continuing criminal enterprise, and up to life without parole on the RICO charge. As part of his plea agreement, he will also forfeit $15 billion.
The charges stem from indictments filed in several federal districts across the United States, including the Eastern District of New York, Western District of Texas, District of Columbia, Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of California, and Central District of California. The joint prosecution was conducted by U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Brooklyn and Miami along with the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Criminal Division.
Under the plea agreement, charges from Texas were transferred to New York for sentencing. Remaining indictments will be dismissed at sentencing.
The Sinaloa Cartel has operated since the late 1980s, importing large quantities of narcotics—including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl—into the United States and laundering proceeds back to Mexico. In recent years under Zambada Garcia’s leadership, the cartel expanded into fentanyl production using precursor chemicals purchased from Chinese companies and manufactured thousands of kilograms in Mexico for U.S. distribution.
U.S. officials stated that Zambada Garcia maintained power through violence and corruption. Witnesses at previous trials testified that bribery at multiple levels enabled cartel operations to continue without disruption.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said: “This foreign terrorist committed horrific crimes against the American people — he will now pay for those crimes by spending the rest of his life behind bars in an American prison. Today marks a crucial victory in President Trump’s ongoing fight to completely eliminate foreign terrorist organizations and protect American citizens from deadly drugs and violence.”
“With today’s guilty pleas, “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia and “El Chapo” Guzman, the two co-founders of the Sinaloa Cartel—one of the largest, most violent and most destructive cartels in history—will live out the rest of their days in United States federal prison cells without the possibility of parole,” stated United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella. “Zambada Garcia has now been held accountable for the tons of illegal narcotics, including cocaine and fentanyl, that he and his organization trafficked for decades, and the murders and other acts of violence committed in furtherance of that enterprise. Today’s guilty plea were possible because of the work of law enforcement personnel in the United States, Mexico and elsewhere. We hope that their hard work and the pleas can provide a measure of solace to the countless victims of Zambada Garcia’s narcotics trafficking and violence and their families.”
“For decades, under El Mayo’s leadership, the Sinaloa Cartel made billions of dollars by importing poisonous drugs to the United States, flooding our streets with cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl,” stated Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With El Mayo’s conviction, the Department has now brought both founders of the Sinaloa Cartel to justice, and the growing list of international cartel leaders that have faced justice in American courtrooms sends an unequivocal message to those who seek to fill their shoes that the same fate awaits them if they do. Today’s guilty plea is a credit to the collaboration between the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York, Southern District of Florida, and the Western District of Texas; and our law enforcement partners.”
“Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada led one of the world’s deadliest cartels, pumping fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and meth into our communities,” stated DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “His guilty plea proves no cartel boss is beyond the reach of justice. By taking him down, we are protecting American families and cutting off a pipeline of poison. DEA and our partners will not stop until every cartel network is dismantled.”
“After years of painstaking work, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations New York secured a superseding indictment last year charging Ismael Zambada with fentanyl trafficking,” stated Actingng ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “Now, one of the world’s most prolific and dangerous drug traffickers is going to face justice for the lives he’s stolen and the illicit profits he’s raked in. This is more than a win for HSI. It’s a win for the American people.”
“Today’s plea is a proud moment for FBI and its partners as founders as founders as founders as founders as founders as founders as founders as founders as founders,” stated FBI Director Kash Patel.”Our work does not end here.We will continue relentlessly leverage everything at our disposal efforts thwart Sinaloa Cartel put end their drug trafficking operations carnage goes along it.”
“After years evading justice,Zambada Garcia has been brought account.With his conviction,reign violence terror over,”stated U.S.Attorney Jason A.Reding Quiñones.”He never again direct cartel fueled addiction spread violence tore apart families communities both sides border.This outcome made possible tireless work law enforcement partners United States abroad whose courage persistence dismantled Sinaloa Cartel operations delivered long overdue justice victims.”
“For decades,the Western District Texas front lines fight against Sinaloa Cartel,”stated United States Attorney Western District Texas Justin R.Simmons.”Under Zambada Garcia’s leadership,Sinaloa Cartel produced trafficked thousands kilograms narcotics through border effectively infiltrating every city country leading thousands deaths communities imprisoning millions within grey walls addiction enriching himself process.Under Zambada Garcia’s leadership,Sinaloa Cartel engaged years-long war Juarez Cartel war which directly affected not just citizens Juarez,Mexico also citizens El Paso Texas multiple residents including least one U.S.citizen being kidnapped tortured killed by Sinaloa Cartel members.Now like co-conspirator El Chapo Guzman,Zambada Garcia pay price life lawlessness using whole government approach employed case continue systematically eradicate Mexican drug cartels bring others justice enrich themselves detriment Americans.”
The case is managed by prosecutors from several districts with support from agencies such as FBI,HSI, DEA, among others.
Operation Take Back America coordinated these efforts nationwide by combining resources from DOJ programs like Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) (https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf)and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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