Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada

Ismael Mario Zambada García (born January 1, 1948), also known as El Mayo, is a Mexican former drug lord and former member of Sinaloa Cartel, an international crime syndicate based in the state of Mexico. Before he assumed leadership of the entire cartel, he allegedly served as the logistical coordinator for its Zambada García faction, which has overseen the trafficking of cocaine and heroin into Chicago and other US cities by aircraft, narcosubs, container ships, go-fast boats, fishing vessels, buses, rail cars, tractor trailers, and automobiles.

He was arrested in El Paso, Texas, United States, and reported to be in US custody on July 25, 2024. Until this arrest, he had never been arrested or incarcerated. He was arraigned in a Brooklyn based federal court on September 13, 2024. On August 25, 2025, during a court hearing in Brooklyn, he pled guilty to two of the 17 counts he was charged with, one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of runnin...