Life in Prison for ‘El Mayo’: Mexico’s Cartel Kingpin Sentenced

The 76‑year‑old founder of the Sinaloa cartel, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, has just been sentenced to life in a U.S. federal court, the judge’s ruling ending a two‑year extradition saga.

Zambada’s plea to drug smuggling and conspiracy charges came after a sting operation where Juan “El Gato” Guzmán (El Chapo’s son) tricked the drug kingpin into believing they were flying to Mexico to check secret air‑strips. Instead, the flight landed in Texas and the 76‑year‑old was arrested.

The guilty plea carried a mandatory life sentence and a staggering $15 billion restitution order, the largest ever imposed on a cartel leader. The justice department says the figure represents the profit generated from Zambada’s role as a principal leader of the criminal enterprise.

After the sentencing, Zambada requested placement in a prison hospital due to age‑related health issues, but federal prosecutors want a high‑security facility because they believe he still poses a threat and could direct operations from behind bars.

The case underscores the hard‑court push by the U.S. and Mexico to clamp down on drug cartels. While the U.S. has labeled the organization a terrorist group and charged Mexican officials with collusion, Mexican forces have deployed thousands of troops to Sinaloa in an attempt to quell the ongoing internal war that erupted after former leaders were taken out.

For more details on the sting operation that brought Zambada to U.S. custody, read: How cartel leader “El Mayo” Zambada was lured to US in elaborate sting.

Read the full story on Reuters, sourced by BBC. Source: Reuters.