In the sentencing memorandum submitted by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García’s defense attorney to the presiding federal judge—part of the pre-sentencing process—it is reiterated that the defendant accepts his guilt and acknowledges that this entails a mandatory life sentence. The document also highlights his willingness to accept the consequences of the legal proceedings since his “involuntary” handover to U.S. authorities.
The letter, drafted by defense attorney Frank A. Pérez and sent to U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan in Brooklyn, contrasts Zambada’s conduct with that of his former partner, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera. It underscores that by pleading guilty, Zambada García has not only spared the U.S. justice system the multi-million dollar costs of a high-profile trial—recalling “El Chapo’s” 11-week trial—but is also preventing witnesses and victims from facing “the fear and risk of exposure” associated with being called to testify in court. The letter does not specify to whom it refers.
“Zambada’s unequivocal acceptance of responsibility has been a defining characteristic of his conduct since his involuntary arrival in the United States just under two years ago,” Pérez states in the letter. He insists that Zambada is not seeking to negotiate a sentence reduction in exchange for cooperation. It is asserted that the defendant “did not provide substantial assistance and is not seeking—now or in the future—any motion for a reduced sentence.”
However, in other cases, such negotiations regarding cooperation with U.S. authorities in exchange for benefits typically begin only after a sentence has been handed down, at the initiative of the Department of Justice. The letter compares the cases of Zambada García and “El Chapo” Guzmán, looking not only at how their U.S. legal proceedings unfolded but also at their behavior prior to arriving in the United States, when they were partners in the Sinaloa Cartel.
It asserts that, of the two, Zambada “was known for being the first to seek alternative solutions to maintain peace. In fact, it was precisely the opportunity to act as a mediator to resolve disputes among key elected officials in his home state of Sinaloa that served as the ‘bait’ to lure Zambada to the July 25, 2024, meeting—where he was beaten, bound, kidnapped, taken to a waiting private plane, and transported to the United States by Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán.”
Elaborating on the behavioral differences between Zambada and “El Chapo,” the letter notes that both men face the same sentence but argues for consideration of these distinctions; it suggests the judge might designate a facility other than the super-maximum security prison where “El Chapo” is held—opting instead for a prison capable of addressing the defendant’s various health conditions. Details regarding his condition were redacted in the publicly released version of the letter but remain available for the judge to review.
The letter includes a brief biography of “El Mayo,” now 76, who was born into a farming family and completed only primary school. He initially worked at his uncle’s butcher shop and was introduced to the world of drug trafficking by a friend at age 19; from there, he rose through the ranks over the years to eventually lead the Sinaloa Cartel, despite never having aspired to that role. It is reported that following the end of his marriage, he was involved with several women—sometimes simultaneously—and now has a total of 16 children, ranging in age from 6 to 55.
When Zambada García pleaded guilty and waived his right to a trial on August 25, 2025, before a federal court in New York, Donald Trump’s administration hailed what it claimed was a victory against “narco-terrorists”—and potentially the end of the Sinaloa Cartel—asserting that “no one is beyond the reach of U.S. justice.” Then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi—since removed from her post by the president—stated that “they operated with impunity at the highest levels of the Mexican drug trade, paying bribes to government officials… but under President Trump’s leadership, he [Zambada] was finally brought to justice.” She emphasized that “this foreign terrorist committed heinous crimes against the American people—and now he will pay for those crimes by spending the rest of his life behind bars in a U.S. prison.”
The sentencing hearing for Zambada García, to be presided over by Judge Cogan—the same judge who oversaw the trials of El Chapo and Genaro García Luna—is scheduled for July 20.
