Overview

• A federal judge in Brooklyn converted the Aug. 25 hearing to a change‑of‑plea proceeding and prosecutors formally told the court they will not seek capital punishment.
• Ismael Zambada, 77, was previously indicted on 17 counts that include murder-related charges, drug trafficking involving fentanyl, firearms offenses and money laundering.
• Court records and reporting indicate the plea follows negotiations that could lessen his sentence and may involve cooperation with U.S. authorities.
• Separately, U.S. authorities deported Julio César Chávez Jr. to Mexico, where he was taken into federal custody in Hermosillo under a 2023 warrant for organized crime and weapons trafficking.
• In a high-profile local case, four suspects seen in a viral video beating a man at an Atizapán padel club were transferred to the Tlalnepantla penitentiary as a judge considers linking them to attempted homicide.