‘El Mayo’ Zambada Sentenced to Life in Prison in the U.S.

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, one of Mexico’s most powerful drug traffickers, will spend the rest of his life in a U.S. prison. A federal court in Brooklyn sentenced him to life imprisonment for leading the Sinaloa Cartel and trafficking enormous quantities of cocaine and fentanyl into the United States. The sentence also includes the seizure of 15 billion dollars, one of the highest amounts imposed in a drug trafficking case.

How was the sentence handed down?

Federal Judge Brian M. Cogan confirmed the life sentence without possibility of parole. He did so at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn. Cogan had previously sentenced Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Zambada’s former partner, also to life imprisonment plus additional years. Now, the two historical founders of the Sinaloa Cartel remain sentenced to life in U.S. prisons.

Zambada had pleaded guilty in 2025. He admitted to participating for decades in an ongoing criminal enterprise and in organized crime conspiracy. The prosecution held him responsible for coordinating the shipment of hundreds of tons of cocaine and other drugs from Latin America to U.S. territory. In exchange for avoiding the death penalty, he accepted life imprisonment and the enormous financial seizure.

During the hearing, the 76-year-old drug trafficker arrived visibly weakened. He entered limping, dressed in khaki prison uniform and orange shirt. He showed difficulty following the judge’s simultaneous translation and complained when sitting down, reinforcing the image of an aging capo facing his final years behind bars.

What did ‘El Mayo’ say before hearing the sentence?

Before hearing the sentence, Zambada read a letter in Spanish. He apologized to the people and families who suffered from his actions. He called for an end to violence in Mexico and urged young people to “choose another path” and avoid making “the same mistakes.” He added: “Nobody wins in this kind of war,” a phrase intended to show remorse before the court.

He also acknowledged that he cannot change the past, but can take responsibility. He said he accepted that his crimes would lead him to spend his final days in prison. The defense had sent a letter to Judge Cogan weeks earlier accepting life imprisonment and admitting that