BROOKLYN, N.Y. – A notorious Mexican cartel leader, Ismael Zambada Garcia, also known as El Mayo, has been brought to justice after pleading guilty to being a principal leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. The 75-year-old defendant, a resident of Sinaloa, Mexico, faces a life sentence behind bars.
Zambada Garcia, 75, pleaded guilty to engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise – the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world – and a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charge.
This conviction marks a significant victory in the fight against foreign terrorist organizations and the protection of American citizens from deadly drugs and violence, according to Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This foreign terrorist committed horrific crimes against the American people — he will now pay for those crimes by spending the rest of his life behind bars in an American prison,” she said.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida praised law enforcement partners in the United States and abroad for their tireless work in dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations and delivering justice to its victims. “With his conviction, his reign of violence and terror is over. He will never again direct a cartel that fueled addiction, spread violence, and tore apart families and communities on both sides of our border,” he said.
The Sinaloa Cartel, under El Mayo’s leadership, made billions of dollars by importing poisonous drugs to the United States, flooding our streets with cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, according to Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti. “El Mayo’s conviction is the latest milestone in the historic efforts to eliminate the harms wrought by cartels and bring their leaders to justice in American courtrooms,” he said.
Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), played crucial roles in securing the conviction. “Today’s plea is a proud moment for the FBI and its partners as the founders of a notoriously violent drug trafficking organization face the consequences of their actions,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
With his guilty plea, Zambada Garcia joins his co-founder, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, in a U.S. federal prison cell without the possibility of parole. “Zambada Garcia has now been held accountable for his crimes, and his conviction is a testament to the tireless efforts of law enforcement agencies to dismantle cartel networks and bring their leaders to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York.
Related Federal Cases
- Duval County Public Schools, Employment Discrimination, Florida, 2023 · New York
- Lawrence Destefano, Ghost Gun Ring Operation, Florida, 2023 · Washington
- Raees Alam Qazi, Terrorism and Attempted Marshal Murder, Florida, 2023 · Florida
- Lourdes Margarita Garcia, Tax Fraud, FL, 2023 · Florida
- Diego Rastrojo Admits Cocaine Kingpin Status, Florida, 2023 · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
