A U.S. court sentenced 'El Mayo,' the Mexican drug cartel leader, to life imprisonment after he was deceived into being arrested in the U.S. two years ago. In court, he apologized and urged younger generations to choose a different path to follow.
Foreign news agencies reported on Monday, 20 Jul 2026 GMT+7, that Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, one of the most influential and notorious figures in Mexico's drug cartel world, was sentenced by a U.S. judge to life imprisonment after being tricked and arrested in the U.S. two years earlier.
El Mayo, aged 76, co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel, a major criminal organization in Mexico, alongside Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán. He apologized during court proceedings and was ordered to pay fines and forfeit assets totaling $15 billion, representing profits from drug trafficking.
The operation to arrest El Mayo took place in 2024 when El Chapo's son convinced him that they were traveling to northern Mexico to inspect a secret airstrip, but the plane instead landed in Texas, where he was ultimately arrested.
Last year, El Mayo reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, agreeing to plead guilty to drug trafficking and conspiracy charges in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan sentenced El Mayo during a hearing at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. His guilty plea resulted in a mandatory life sentence under U.S. law.
Through a translator during the hearing, El Mayo expressed regret for the harm he caused and for being a bad example. He called on younger generations to "choose a different path."
"If there is one thing I can say that holds value today, it is this: violence must end," said the former drug cartel leader. "In Mexico and other areas affected by these crimes, many lives have been lost, numerous families shattered, and countless young people trapped in a cycle leading only to prison or death."
The U.S. Department of Justice stated that the $15 billion El Mayo was ordered to forfeit reflects the profits from his role as a principal leader in the criminal organization’s drug trafficking operations.
Since El Mayo’s arrest, violent clashes have erupted within the Sinaloa cartel, causing chaos throughout Mexico’s Sinaloa state, with reports of hundreds of people missing amid battles between rival factions within the cartel.
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Source:bbc