Sinaloa Cartel Founder ‘El Mayo’ Zambada Pleads Guilty, Sentencing Set for Early 2026

Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, the notorious co-founder of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa Cartel, has entered a guilty plea to two drug smuggling and conspiracy charges in a New York federal court. This significant development concludes one of the longest and most impactful criminal careers in the history of organized crime, with his sentencing now scheduled for January 2026.

Zambada, 77, officially accepted his role in establishing and leading a vast criminal network responsible for trafficking immense quantities of cocaine and other illicit drugs into the United States since the late 1980s. His plea comes weeks after U.S. prosecutors confirmed they would not seek the death penalty against him.

The guilty plea follows Zambada’s arrest last year in Texas, an event reportedly stemming from an extraordinary double-cross involving the sons of his former ally, Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán. Guzmán himself was sentenced to life imprisonment in the same court in 2019. Following Guzmán’s conviction, the Sinaloa Cartel fragmented into factions, with ‘El Mayo’ leading one and Guzmán’s sons, ‘Los Chapitos,’ heading another, fueling ongoing internal conflict.

By entering a guilty plea, Zambada is likely seeking a more lenient sentence, a decision possibly influenced by his advanced age, reported poor health, and the precedent set by Guzmán’s life sentence. This move marks a pivotal moment in the fight against international drug trafficking, bringing a major chapter in the Sinaloa Cartel’s history towards a formal judicial close.

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