EL PASO, Texas — Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the alleged co-founder of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, is scheduled to appear in a U.S. courtroom on Thursday. This comes after he pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges in a dramatic turn of events last week.
Zambada will face a status conference at 1 p.m. MDT before U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso. This meeting is expected to address procedural issues, including the exchange of evidence between the prosecution and defense, and will set the stage for future proceedings.
On July 25, Zambada was apprehended alongside Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of the infamous Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman. Guzman Lopez, who has also pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking, was captured at the Dona Ana County International Jetport near El Paso. Guzman Lopez’s father, El Chapo, is serving a life sentence in Colorado.
Details surrounding their arrest remain unclear. Reports suggest Guzman Lopez lured Zambada onto a plane under the pretense of a real estate visit, only to fly to the U.S. Zambada’s lawyer, Frank Perez, claims that Guzman Lopez, along with six armed men, forcibly abducted his client from Mexico and brought him to the U.S. against his will. Guzman Lopez’s attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, dismissed these claims, suggesting they are merely media maneuvers.
Zambada faces a serious case in Texas, which includes charges of racketeering conspiracy and murder linked to drug trafficking. Prosecutors allege that under Zambada’s and El Chapo’s leadership, cartel members were involved in violent crimes, including the abduction and murder of a U.S. resident and his family in the late 2000s.
Additionally, Zambada faces charges in other federal jurisdictions, including New York, where he is accused of conspiring to manufacture and distribute fentanyl, a potent opioid that has exacerbated the ongoing drug crisis in the U.S.
