Current:Home > ScamsLongtime Mexican drug cartel leader set to be arraigned in New York-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Longtime Mexican drug cartel leader set to be arraigned in New York
View Date:2024-12-23 16:47:48
NEW YORK (AP) — Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the powerful longtime leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel, is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in New York on a 17-count indictment accusing him of narcotics trafficking and murder.
Sought by American law enforcement for more than two decades, Zambada has been in U.S. custody since July 25, when he landed in a private plane at an airport outside El Paso in the company of another fugitive cartel leader, Joaquín Guzmán López, according to federal authorities.
Zambada later said in a letter that he was forcibly kidnapped in Mexico and brought to the U.S. by Guzmán López, the son of the imprisoned Sinaloa co-founder Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
U.S. prosecutors in Brooklyn have asked the judge to detain Zambada permanently while he awaits trial. If convicted on all charges, Zambada, 76, faces a minimum sentence of life in prison and would be eligible for the death penalty.
In a letter to the judge, prosecutors called Zambada “one of the world’s most notorious and dangerous drug traffickers.”
“The defendant maintained an arsenal of military-grade weapons to protect his person, his drugs, and his empire,” they wrote. “His heavily armed private security forces were used as his personal bodyguards and as protection for drug shipments throughout Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and beyond. Moreover, he maintained a stable of ‘sicarios,’ or hitmen, who carried out gruesome assassinations and kidnappings aimed at maintaining discipline within his organization, protecting against challenges from rivals, and silencing those who would cooperate with law enforcement.”
That included ordering the murder, just months ago, of his own nephew, the prosecutors said.
Zambada pleaded not guilty to the charges at an earlier court appearance in Texas.
His surprise arrest has touched off fighting in Mexico between rival factions in the Sinaloa cartel. Gunfights have killed several people. Schools in businesses in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa, have closed amid the fighting. The battles are believed to be between factions loyal to Zambada and those led by other sons of “El Chapo” Guzmán, who was convicted of drug and conspiracy charges and sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. in 2019.
It remains unclear why Guzmán López surrendered to U.S. authorities and brought Zambada with him. Guzmán López is now awaiting trial on a separate drug trafficking indictment in Chicago, where he has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in federal court.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Democrat Ruben Gallego wins Arizona US Senate race against Republican Kari Lake
- Ex-gang leader makes his bid in Las Vegas court for house arrest before trial in Tupac Shakur case
- A boozy banana drink in Uganda is under threat as authorities move to restrict home brewers
- Nick Saban says adapting to college football change is part of ongoing success at Alabama
- Why Outer Banks Fans Think Costars Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey Used Stunt Doubles Amid Rumored Rift
- Hack, rizz, slay and other cringe-worthy words to avoid in 2024
- California 10-year-old used father's stolen gun to fatally shoot boy, authorities say
- Ex-gang leader makes his bid in Las Vegas court for house arrest before trial in Tupac Shakur case
- Stocks soared on news of Trump's election. Bonds sank. Here's why.
- Washington vs. Michigan: Odds and how to watch 2024 CFP National Championship
Ranking
- Olivia Munn Randomly Drug Tests John Mulaney After Mini-Intervention
- What you've missed. 2023's most popular kids shows, movies and more
- Raise a Glass to Ryan Seacrest's Sweet New Year's Shout-Out From Girlfriend Aubrey Paige
- Missile fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen strikes merchant vessel in Red Sea, Pentagon says
- Jordan Chiles Reveals She Still Has Bronze Medal in Emotional Update After 2024 Olympics Controversy
- Ross Gay on inciting joy while dining with sorrow
- Anderson Cooper's Giggle Fit Steals the Show After Andy Cohen's Sex Confession on New Year's Eve
- Shannen Doherty Shares She Completed This “Bucket List” Activity With Her Cancer Doctor
Recommendation
-
Bull doge! Dogecoin soars as Trump announces a government efficiency group nicknamed DOGE
-
Ashes of Canadian ‘Star Trek’ fan to be sent into space along with those of TV series’ stars
-
Former NBA G League player held in woman’s killing due in Vegas court after transfer from Sacramento
-
Powerful earthquakes off Japan's west coast prompt tsunami warnings
-
NFL coaches diversity report 2024: Gains at head coach, setbacks at offensive coordinator
-
Remembering those lost on OceanGate's Titan submersible
-
Migrants dropped at New Jersey train stations to avoid New York bus restrictions, NJ officials say
-
Are stores open New Year's Day 2024? See hours for Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Macy's, more