New York — Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the historic leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, has agreed to accept a life sentence in the United States to avoid the death penalty, according to a letter his attorney sent to the presiding judge on Monday.
The 76-year-old drug lord, who was handed over to US authorities by Joaquín Guzmán López in July 2024 and pleaded guilty in August 2025, now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. The letter from lawyer Frank A. Perez arrives two weeks before Zambada’s scheduled sentencing hearing on July 20, which had already been postponed twice.
“The defendant Ismael Zambada García accepts that, as a consequence of the serious crimes he has committed, he will be sentenced to life in prison,” the letter states.
Perez noted that Zambada suffers from “a complex set of age-related health problems” and requested that he be sent to a facility “adequately equipped to meet the defendant’s need for medical treatment.” He clarified that they are not seeking “a low-security facility or special treatment,” but rather “a safe medical or administrative environment.”
The attorney emphasized that Zambada has been “unequivocal in his acceptance of responsibility” since arriving in the US “under highly unusual circumstances.” During his change-of-plea hearing on August 25, 2025, Zambada “acknowledged the factual basis of his criminal conduct and expressed remorse,” the letter says.
Perez contrasted Zambada’s cooperation with that of his former partner Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who went through an 11-week jury trial seven years ago. “Mr. Zambada’s behavior has differed markedly from that of other foreign organized crime figures brought to this country by extradition,” Perez wrote, noting that while Guzmán had the right to maintain his innocence, the trial placed enormous strain on court resources and cost millions in security measures.
Zambada’s kidnapping by Guzmán López — which he acknowledged in his guilty plea — and his subsequent handover to US authorities triggered a wave of violence between two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. The northern region of Mexico, particularly the capital Culiacán, has since been engulfed in brutal clashes between Los Chapitos and Los Mayos.
