The supreme leader of the Sinaloa Cartel has pleaded guilty to U.S. federal drug charges in connection with leading the most powerful drug cartel in the world. His plea has sparked much speculation in Mexico, where his expected cooperation could implicate some of the country’s highest-ranking political figures.
During a change of plea hearing at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn before U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan, attorneys for Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada entered a guilty plea to racketeering and conspiracy charges as part of an apparent plea deal with prosecutors. He faces a mandatory life sentence.
Earlier this month, federal prosecutors filed a notice that they would not be seeking the death penalty in the case. Zambada is considered to be the highest-ranking drug trafficker who, along with jailed kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, ran the Sinaloa Cartel, turning the criminal organization into the most powerful cartel in the world.
The guilty plea sparked widespread speculation in Mexico, where the Sinaloa Cartel has a long history and deep connections with the country’s political elite. As Breitbart Texas reported, Zambada’s arrest came in the summer of 2024, after the Chapitos, the sons of his El Chapo Guzman, had scheduled a meeting with him and some of the top political figures in Sinaloa. However, during that meeting, the Chapitos captured Zambada and flew him to Texas, where U.S. federal authorities were waiting for him.
That perceived betrayal has sparked a fierce turf war between the Chapitos and the family of Zambada, which has brought a high level of violence to western Mexico.
Politicians and pundits in Mexico have been speculating about the possibility of Zambada providing information on the politicians who have protected the Sinaloa Cartel over the years. The speculation points to sitting and former mayors, legislators, governors, and even presidents. Political rivals have long accused former Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his party MORENA of having worked with and protected drug cartels. Lopez Obrador is the same politician who traveled to Sinaloa in 2020 and met with the mother of El Chapo Guzman, at a time when the drug kingpin was in U.S. custody, Breitbart Texas reported at the time.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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