OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
12:30 PM – Monday, July 20, 2026
Former Mexican drug cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García was sentenced on Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan imposed the mandatory sentence, which stems from Zambada’s guilty plea in August last year.
Zambada, 76, co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel and led it for decades. He pleaded guilty to charges including running a continuing criminal enterprise and racketeering conspiracy. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty, and Zambada consented to the forfeiture of $15 billion in drug trafficking proceeds.
The sentencing comes almost exactly two years after Zambada was taken into U.S. custody in July 2024. According to authorities, he was lured under false pretenses by Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of his former associate Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, and flown to the United States.
During court proceedings, Zambada expressed acceptance of responsibility and alleged remorse for his actions as well as the harm caused by the cartel’s activities. He also acknowledged the violence and corruption associated with the organization.
U.S. officials described the sentence as a significant outcome in efforts against the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most powerful drug trafficking organizations, which has been linked to the distribution of large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl and other drugs into the United States.
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella, Jr., highlighted the collaborative work between U.S. and Mexican authorities that contributed to the resolution of the case.
Meanwhile, the outcome parallels the 2019 life sentence given to Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán in the same Brooklyn courthouse. Prosecutors have portrayed Zambada as a top strategic figure in the cartel’s operations and systemic corruption — spanning over nearly four decades.
Judge Cogan later suggested that he would recommend that the Bureau of Prisons place Zambada in a facility equipped to address his age-related health conditions.
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