Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada highlighted differences between his own conduct and that of his former partner, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, during their respective U.S. legal proceedings, aiming to secure a sentence of life imprisonment in a facility with medical care.
With Judge Brian M. Cogan set to hand down the sentence in 14 days, the drug trafficker stated in a memorandum—submitted this Monday to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York by his lawyer, Frank A. Pérez—that there are differences between his behavior since his July 25, 2024, arrest (following his abduction and handover to the U.S. by his godson) and the conduct “El Chapo” exhibited during his own sentencing process.
According to the former Sinaloa Cartel leader, the differences between the two traffickers are “too subtle to be meaningfully distinguished,” yet he noted that their responses to U.S. authorities have indeed been diametrically opposed.
The memorandum indicates that, of the two, Ismael Zambada García was known for prioritizing alternative solutions to maintain peace—opting for paths other than violence.
