Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, 76, a citizen of Mexico, was arraigned this morning in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on 17 counts related to drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and money laundering. This fifth superseding indictment relates to El Mayo’s decades-long leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl. El Mayo was previously charged with running a continuing criminal enterprise, as well as murder conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana manufacture and distribution conspiracy.
El Mayo was ordered detained pending trial and was transferred yesterday to the Eastern District of New York from the Western District of Texas following his arrest in New Mexico on July 25.
“El Mayo, the co-founder and leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, has been charged with overseeing a multi-billion-dollar conspiracy to flood American communities with narcotics, including deadly fentanyl,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege that El Mayo built, and for decades led, the Sinaloa Cartel’s network of manufacturers, assassins, traffickers, and money launderers responsible for kidnapping and murdering people in both the United States and Mexico.”
“For years, Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada Garcia and the Sinaloa Cartel he led manufactured illicit fentanyl and peddled it across our country,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Thanks to the dedicated work of brave Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Agents and their federal partners.”
“For decades, the Sinaloa Cartel has profited from poisoning and killing Americans,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today’s arraignment of Zambada Garcia is the latest step in a whole-of-government effort to strike back against one of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations.”
“Today’s arraignment is another forceful reminder of the FBI’s commitment to pursuing justice for American lives lost to violence,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.
“Defeating the Sinaloa Cartel is DEA’s top operational priority,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Better known as ‘El Mayo’, Zambada Garcia is responsible for an unprecedented drug crisis facing the United States.”
“Zambada Garcia’s day of reckoning in a U.S. courtroom has arrived,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York.
“Zambada Garcia will now face charges for leading a multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida.
“Today’s arraignment sends a clear message — we will find you and bring you to justice,” said HSI Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger.
“The arraignment is a result of relentless work by law enforcement partners at all levels,” said Superintendent Steven G. James of the New York State Police (NYSP).
El Mayo was first indicted in 2009 in New York's Eastern District and most recently in February under a fifth superseding indictment. As alleged, he co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel with Joaquin Guzman Loera (El Chapo), who ran it until his arrest in 2016.
According to allegations from 1989 to 2024 detailed in court filings: El Mayo led a continuing criminal enterprise responsible for importing massive quantities of narcotics into America; employed thousands across South/Central America; used complex transportation routes; employed hit-men; generated billions laundered back into Mexico; expanded into fentanyl manufacturing/distribution by 2012; made millions through corruption payments; committed retaliatory murders.
If convicted on these charges alone—life imprisonment awaits him after considering U.S Sentencing Guidelines & statutory factors decided by federal district judge presiding over case FBI/DEA/HSI investigated prosecution handled Melanie Alsworth/Kirk Handrich/Narcotic Dangerous Drug Section Francisco J Navarro Robert M Pollack Adam Amir Lauren A Bowman Andrea Goldbarg Southern District Florida substantial assistance Northern Illinois Central California Southern California Western Texas OCDETF investigation identifies disrupts dismantles highest-level traffickers transnational criminals prosecutor-led intelligence-driven multi-agency approach Indictment merely allegation defendants presumed innocent proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt court law