San Diego, California — Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California have moved to permanently dismiss a criminal indictment against Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, just a week after a New York judge sentenced him to life in prison.
The motion, filed on July 27 under case number 3:14-cr-00658-DMS, asks the court to drop the charges that have been pending in San Diego since 2014. Prosecutors argued that maintaining a separate proceeding is unnecessary because Zambada will remain in federal custody for the rest of his life following the sentence handed down in Brooklyn.
The petition was signed by U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Sutton, who invoked Rule 48(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to request the case be closed “in the interests of justice.” A federal judge must now approve the request.
The motion does not affect Zambada’s life sentence or offer any legal benefit regarding his primary conviction. It does not modify the penalty, reduce his prison term, or open the possibility of early release. Its sole purpose is to close one of several federal cases initiated in different U.S. courts.
Prosecutors are seeking a dismissal with prejudice, which would bar the government from refiling the same specific charges against the drug lord, provided the judge approves. They also aim to cancel the associated arrest warrant, since Zambada is already in custody and sentenced.
The Department of Justice had anticipated that pending cases would be gradually dismissed after the sentencing. Officials explained that the case resolved in the Eastern District of New York covered the criminal conduct described in other federal indictments filed over the years against the historic Sinaloa Cartel leader.
Ismael Zambada, 76, was sentenced on July 20 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Judge Brian Cogan also ordered the forfeiture of $15 billion in proceeds tied to drug trafficking and organized crime activities.
The Mexican kingpin pleaded guilty in August 2025 to leading a continuing criminal enterprise and participating in organized crime operations. During his sentencing hearing, he acknowledged responsibility for the charges and accepted that he would spend the rest of his life in federal prison.
New York authorities noted that Zambada had accumulated at least 16 federal indictments across various U.S. districts over two decades. The eventual closure of the California case is part of an administrative process to eliminate duplicate filings and does not represent a review of his guilt or the sentence imposed by the Brooklyn court.
