US Demands Life Sentence and 15 Billion Dollars for Sinaloa Cartel Leader 'El Mayo' Zambada

The US government has demanded that Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, one of the founders of the Sinaloa Cartel, be sentenced to life imprisonment at the July 20 hearing. Drawing attention to the massive scale of violence and corruption Zambada has spread in the US and Mexico, the prosecution requested 15 billion dollars to be paid through the seizure of cartel assets.

It was stated that Zambada oversaw the smuggling of large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl into the US for years and ordered murders and torture. Additionally, it was emphasized that he distributed bribes to Mexican police, military, and politicians to ensure the Sinaloa Cartel operated without interruption. While it was suggested for security reasons that the detainee remain in a high-security prison hospital, it was reported that some cartel members, including his son, remained loyal to him.

On the other hand, following Zambada's arrest in 2024, Mexico has complained that the process was not conducted transparently. The Mexican government suspects the FBI conducted an unauthorized operation on its territory, violating the country's sovereignty, and is demanding definitive information from the US regarding the matter.