Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is expected to enter a guilty plea in federal court to charges tied to his role in a violent drug trafficking network. He is scheduled for a change of plea hearing in Brooklyn after his arrest in Texas last year and after prosecutors said they would not seek the death penalty. Prosecutors expect him to plead guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of running a continuing criminal enterprise. Zambada previously pleaded not guilty to multiple drug, gun and money laundering charges. The Sinaloa cartel expanded into a globally dominant, heavily armed organization that carried out assassinations, kidnappings and torture. Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán received a life sentence, and Guzmán's sons face federal charges.
NEW YORK (AP) - Former Mexican cartel kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is expected to plead guilty Monday to federal charges related to his role in the violent drug trade that for years flooded the U.S. with cocaine, heroin and other illicit substances. The longtime leader of the Sinaloa cartel is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Brooklyn for a change of plea hearing.
Prosecutors, in a court filing ahead of Monday's hearing, said they expect the 77-year-old to plead guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of running a continuing criminal enterprise. Zambada pleaded not guilty last year to a range of drug trafficking and related charges, including gun and money laundering offenses. Lawyers for Zambada didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday.
Prosecutors say the Sinaloa cartel evolved from a regional player into the largest drug trafficking organization in the world under the leadership of Zambada and co-founder Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. They say Zambada presided over a violent, highly militarized cartel with a private security force armed with powerful weapons and a cadre of "sicarios," or hitmen, that carried out assassinations, kidnappings and torture.
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