Ex-Mexican cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia on Monday pleaded guilty to federal charges related to his role as a co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, including drug trafficking, gun offenses and money laundering.
Zambada pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of running a continuing criminal enterprise, according to the Associated Press.. He had originally pleaded not guilty, but last week federal prosecutors wrote in a court filing that he intended to change his plea.
The AP reported that in brief remarks in Monday’s hearing, Zambada apologized for his actions.
“I recognize the great harm illegal drugs have done to the people in the United States and Mexico,” he said through a Spanish-language interpreter, the AP reported. “I apologize for all of it, and I take responsibility for my actions.”
In indictments against Zambada in both New York and Texas, federal prosecutors alleged that Zambada and other Sinaloa cartel leaders were responsible for massive quantities of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl and other illegal drugs being distributed into the U.S.
He is expected to be sentenced to prison on Jan. 13, the AP reported.
Zambada, 77, ran the Sinaloa cartel alongside Joaquin Guzman Loera, known as “El Chapo,” until both men were arrested in July of 2024 at an airfield in El Paso, Texas.
In addition to drug smuggling charges, Zambada is alleged to have employed thousands of people in Central and South America, plus Mexico and the United States, to ensure the Sinaloa drug product made it to America. Prosecutors also alleged that Zambada also employed hit men to kidnap or kill anyone who threatened the cartel’s operations, which brought billions of dollars into the cartel.
Prior to his plea agreement, Zambada faced a mandatory minimum of life in prison if convicted.
Jake Rosen is a reporter covering the Department of Justice. He was previously a campaign digital reporter covering President Trump’s 2024 campaign and also served as an associate producer for “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” where he worked with Brennan for two years on the broadcast. Rosen has been a producer for several CBS News podcasts, including “The Takeout,” “The Debrief” and “Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen.”
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