Overview

• Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court in Brooklyn, admitting decades of leadership of the Sinaloa cartel and paying bribes to officials.
• A federal court recorded a $15 billion forfeiture tied to cartel drug proceeds, according to the Justice Department’s calculation.
• President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government will ask Washington to return any seized funds for distribution through the Instituto para Devolverle al Pueblo lo Robado.
• Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed Zambada has a Mexican arrest warrant and that the FGR is pursuing related investigations, noting the forfeiture is a U.S. process.
• Authorities describe the Sinaloa cartel as fragmented yet active, with competing factions and no verified alliance with CJNG despite past claims.