Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García was sentenced this Monday to life imprisonment without parole by a federal court in Brooklyn, New York, after pleading guilty to leading the Sinaloa Cartel and violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

The sentence was handed down by federal judge Brian M. Cogan, who also ordered the forfeiture of $15 billion as part of the plea agreement reached with the Mexican drug lord.

Zambada García admitted guilt on August 25, 2025, acknowledging his role as a principal leader of a continuing criminal organization and accepting responsibility for the RICO charge.

According to the Department of Justice, the Sinaloa Cartel founder led nearly four decades of operations trafficking cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and more recently fentanyl into the United States. He also orchestrated violent acts to protect the cartel’s activities.

Joseph Nocella Jr., the federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York, said the sentence marks the end of the capo’s criminal career. “Ismael Zambada García spent almost four decades poisoning American communities to reap billions in profits and ordering the murder of anyone who stood in his way. Today, that chapter closes for good.”

Nocella added that Zambada “will spend the rest of his life in a U.S. prison” and highlighted the cooperation between U.S. and Mexican authorities that made this outcome possible. He expressed hope that the sentence “brings some justice to the countless victims of drug trafficking and violence linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.”

A. Tysen Duva, Deputy Attorney General and Chief of the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice, called the conviction “historic,” underscoring the agency’s commitment to dismantling transnational criminal organizations.

Terrance C. Cole, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), emphasized that the ruling sends a clear message to cartel leaders: no matter how long they evade capture, authorities will continue pursuing them. He recalled that the Sinaloa Cartel is designated by the U.S. as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and noted that under Zambada’s leadership, the cartel trafficked fentanyl into U.S. territory.

John A. Condon, Acting Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), explained that the investigation spanned nearly two decades, involving special agents and investigators who gathered evidence alongside the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, and federal prosecutors.

Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington office, described the sentence as “a victory for all American families who have lost loved ones to drug overdoses and for Mexican communities living in fear of cartel violence.” He assured that investigations will continue to bring other Sinaloa Cartel leaders to justice.

Federal prosecutors Jason A. Reding Quiñones (Southern District of Florida) and Justin R. Simmons (Western District of Texas) also praised the sentence as a precedent in the fight against transnational criminal organizations and reaffirmed U.S. authorities’ commitment to ongoing actions against cartels.

The Department of Justice reported that Zambada García faced charges in six federal jurisdictions: Eastern District of New York, Western District of Texas, District of Columbia, Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of California, and Central District of California.

As part of the plea deal, he agreed to transfer the charges from the Western District of Texas to the Eastern District of New York for his guilty plea and sentencing. Consequently, the Brooklyn court held him responsible for criminal conduct covered by both indictments, while the remaining cases will be dismissed in the coming days.

The Eastern District of New York indictment accused him as a principal leader of a continuing criminal organization