‘El Mayo' Zambada pleads not guilty in New York court

Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada pleaded not guilty Friday at a New York court hearing where he will stand trial for criminal enterprise and drug trafficking, which could lead to him spending the rest of his days in jail.

Zambada was arrested July 25 in New Mexico when he landed in a small plane in the company of Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the other co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel in the 1980s, and sentenced to life in prison in the United States.

Dressed in prison garb and physically weakened, Zambada, 76, needed help getting out of his chair as he left the courtroom. He heard the 17 charges against him, to which he pleaded "not guilty" through his lawyer.

His next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 31.

Asked by Judge James Cho how he was feeling, the defendant responded with a terse, "Fine, fine."

He then merely responded with a "yes sir" through interpreter to the judge’s standard questions about whether he understood the charges and procedures.

His apparent vulnerability contrasts with the description of him by prosecutor Francisco Navarro: "Until his arrest on July 25, 2024, the defendant was one of the most, if not the most, powerful drug kingpin in the world."

"He is responsible for filling the United States with fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs that have brought death and violence to our streets," he recalled.

While his defense did not ask for bail pending trial, the prosecution is seeking "a permanent bench warrant" for the defendant who poses "an extreme danger to society and high flight risk."

While awaiting trial, he will be held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, known for its deficiencies, and where his compadre “El Chapo” Guzmán was before him.

Also serving at this facility is Genaro García Luna, the former secretary of security under the government of Felipe Calderón (2006-2012), who is due to be sentenced on Oct. 9, after also being found guilty of drug trafficking. He could also spend the rest of his life in prison.

New York prosecutors are charging the notorious drug trafficker, who in more than four decades of criminal activity had never been in prison, with 17 counts, including continuing criminal enterprise, drug trafficking (particularly cocaine, heroin and fentanyl), murder, and trafficking and possession of weapons.

If found guilty, he may spend the rest of his days in jail.

His lawyer, Frank Pérez, assured reporters at the end of the hearing that the case "will go to trial," so a plea deal for Zambada is ruled out in principle.

However, he can plead guilty at any time during what is expected to be a lengthy investigation.