Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García has pleaded guilty to a series of federal charges accusing him of being involved for years in the violent trafficking of drugs like cocaine and heroin, which have flooded the streets of the United States.
The historical leader of the Sinaloa Cartel admits his guilt following negotiations with prosecutors, in which the Department of Justice agreed not to seek the death penalty for him after his arrest by Texas authorities in 2024.
This change in plea may also alter the landscape of drug trafficking in the region, increasing pressure on Nicolás Maduro and the Cartel of the Suns, which the U.S. accuses of undermining national security and regional stability.
The connection between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Cartel of the Suns will likely be the focus of the information that the kingpin provides to prosecutors, strengthening allegations made from the U.S. against Maduro and his criminal regime, including Diosdado Cabello and Vladimir Padrino.
The Assassination of Buendía
On the shoulders of “El Mayo” Zambada also lies the assassination of journalist Manuel Buendía in 1984, as revealed by investigations conducted by the Mexican Attorney General’s Office in 1989, linking him to this crime.
In 1993, Ismael “El Mayo” denied any connection to the drug trafficking that supposedly led to Buendía’s murder, stating he left the drug business in 1985. He also denied being a member of the Guadalajara Cartel, a clumsy attempt to distance himself from this political crime.
Mexican authorities pointed to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada as being involved in Manuel Buendía’s assassination in collusion with other figures, such as José Antonio Zorrilla Pérez, former director of the Federal Security Directorate (DFS), and the alleged shooter, Juan Rafael Moro Ávila.
Both initial and subsequent investigations focused on the Mexican Federal Security Directorate and its leadership. The motive behind the crime was linked to the journalist’s investigations into drug trafficking at Mexico City’s airport.
The Admission of Guilt
Now, before the Brooklyn Court, “El Mayo” Zambada alters his story and, despite facing 17 charges related to drug trafficking, use of weapons in his criminal activities, and money laundering, pleads guilty likely only to some of these charges.
The information he provides will undoubtedly be critical for resolving other cases, and especially, it will support U.S. justice’s claims regarding the Cartel of the Suns and its leader, Nicolás Maduro, and members of his regime, as well as their ties to Mexican cartels and money laundering.
The significance of the contributions that Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada makes will be crucial for determining his sentencing, which is expected to occur in approximately six months by Judge Brian Cogan.
Check out Sin Filtros for “Sinaloa–The Suns: The Truth Behind ‘El Mayo’s’ Guilt: