Overview

• Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada admitted guilt to a RICO conspiracy and a continuing criminal enterprise in federal court in Brooklyn, offenses that carry mandatory life imprisonment, with sentencing set for January 13, 2026 before Judge Brian Cogan and related El Paso charges consolidated into the case.
• In court, he acknowledged leading the Sinaloa Cartel from 1989 to 2024, paying bribes to police, military and political officials in Mexico, and trafficking massive quantities of drugs including about 1,500 tonnes of cocaine.
• Prosecutors valued the forfeiture or money judgment at roughly $15 billion, describing it as proceeds and assets tied to the cartel’s operations.
• The Justice Department previously informed the court it will not seek the death penalty in his case, a decision that reshaped the path to a plea agreement.
• Coverage notes the plea could open a path to cooperation with U.S. authorities, though his attorney Frank Pérez publicly denied that any cooperation agreement exists.