Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, one of the most powerful figures in Mexico’s drug trade, has been sentenced to life in prison in the United States after admitting to running a massive cocaine trafficking operation for decades.
The 76-year-old former Sinaloa Cartel leader pleaded guilty in August 2025 to racketeering conspiracy and continuing criminal enterprise charges. The agreement came after US authorities decided not to pursue the death penalty. Under the charges, a life sentence was mandatory.
US District Judge Brian Cogan imposed the sentence at a federal court hearing in Brooklyn, saying the enormous volume of drugs linked to Zambada and the murders that could be documented justified the punishment.
Zambada appeared in court wearing a beige prison-issued shirt over an orange long-sleeved top. Before the proceedings began, he greeted his lawyer in Spanish.
In a brief statement, Zambada accepted responsibility for the damage caused by his actions and urged younger people not to follow the same path.
“No one wins in a war like this,” he said, while calling on the next generation to choose a different life.
The judge also said he would recommend that prison officials consider Zambada’s medical needs when deciding where he should serve his sentence. Cogan said the aging cartel leader was dealing with several progressive health problems, though he did not provide details.
The judge also noted that Zambada’s decision to plead guilty had saved the government significant time and resources that would otherwise have been spent on a lengthy trial.
## A sudden end to a decades-long cartel career
Zambada’s arrest in July 2024 brought an unexpected end to the career of a cartel boss who had spent decades avoiding capture.
He was taken into custody after a private aircraft carrying him and Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, landed at a small airstrip in New Mexico.
Guzmán López has since pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and admitted to the kidnapping of a person identified in court documents as “Individual A.” US authorities have said that person was Zambada.
According to federal officials, Guzmán López kidnapped Zambada in an attempt to gain favour with US law enforcement. Authorities, however, said the kidnapping would not earn him any sentencing benefit.
Guzmán López has yet to be sentenced.
His father, “El Chapo” Guzmán, is already serving a life sentence at a maximum-security prison in Colorado.
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