Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia has been sentenced to life in a U.S. prison and ordered to forfeit $15 billion in drug trafficking profits. U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan handed down the life sentence, calling it the appropriate punishment for the "almost unimaginable amount of drugs attributable to him and the number of murders that we can document."
Zambada Garcia, 76, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to charges including racketeering conspiracy and continuing criminal enterprise, avoiding the death penalty. He was arrested in July 2024 alongside Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of former cartel leader "El Chapo" Guzman, after their plane landed in New Mexico. Guzman Lopez has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and a kidnapping charge related to Zambada Garcia's apprehension.
Federal prosecutor Joseph Nocella stated that Guzman Lopez admitted to kidnapping Zambada Garcia in an attempt to gain leniency from U.S. law enforcement. Nocella clarified that the U.S. does not condone kidnapping and that Guzman Lopez would receive no credit for this action.
Zambada Garcia, once considered one of the most prolific drug lords in Mexico, told the court he took responsibility for the harm he caused. "No one wins in a war like this. To the next generation, I say, choose a different path," he said.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has publicly criticized the U.S. government, alleging its involvement in the 2024 abduction of Zambada Garcia and stating that the U.S. lied about its participation, which she described as a violation of Mexican sovereignty. The U.S. Department of Justice noted the sentencing was made possible by "tireless bilateral cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement."
Zambada Garcia's sentence marks a significant development in the U.S. prosecution of high-level cartel figures, following the life sentence given to "El Chapo" Guzman in 2019. Judge Cogan recommended Zambada Garcia be placed in a facility where he can receive adequate medical care for progressive health ailments.