(CNN Spanish) – Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada has been in United States custody since July 25, when he was detained along with a son of “El Chapo” Guzmán, and this Friday he appeared before a New York court, where he was transferred from El Paso, Texas.
He is detained without bail on seven criminal charges and is accused by the United States justice of directing the powerful criminal organization.
This Friday, Zambada appeared in court in New York to hear about the accusations against him and learn about the 17 charges related to drug trafficking, money laundering and use of weapons that he will face. Accompanied by his legal team, El Mayo Zambada answered several questions from the judge, such as whether he understood the charges against him and his rights, with a “yes” or “yes sir.”
After being investigated, Zambada pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
“El Mayo” Zambada is co-founder and alleged current leader of the Sinaloa cartel. His name has appeared for years in drug trafficking files. Supposedly, It operated mainly in the states of Sinaola and Nayaritwith influence on much of the Pacific coast of Mexico, as well as Cancún, Quintana Roo, Monterrey and Nuevo León.
“El Mayo” is said to have been in charge of the operations of the Sinaloa cartel since “El Chapo” was recaptured in 2016. The DEA page accuses Zambada of having committed crimes such as money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to possess firearms in promotion of drug trafficking, violent crimes, murder, participating in a continuous criminal enterprise for drug trafficking, conspiracy to murder in a foreign country and kidnapping.
Before his arrest, the DEA offered US$15 million for anyone who gave information about his whereabouts.
A son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, detained along with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in the United States.
The US Department of Justice announced in 2015 that “El Mayo” also faces charges for trafficking methamphetamines, heroin and marijuana. US authorities describe him as “the principal administrator, organizer or leader of the company.”
For the US State Department, Ismael Zambada is one of the criminals most wanted in Mexico: “He gained notoriety in the 1990s as the lead coordinator of several Mexican drug trafficking organizations and as a lead member of the Amado Carrillo-Fuentes organization,” the entity reported in its profile on “El Mayo”.
By the end of the 90s, he positioned himself as one of the strongest Mexican drug traffickers, according to the entity. He was capable of transporting tons of cocaine and marijuana and several kilos of heroin. Besides, He had ties to the Juárez cartel. In 2003, findicted by grand jury of the city of Washington due to his alleged drug trafficking activities and a provisional arrest warrant was issued under this accusation.
Zambada’s organization allegedly receives tons of cocaine, via sea, supplied by Colombian sources, indicated the State Department. After receiving the drug, he “used a variety of methods, including planes, trucks and cars to transport the cocaine to the US-Mexico border.” They then take the substances to distribution units, whose main locations are Arizona, California, Chicago and New York. “Zambada-García has allegedly invested in a series of businesses in Mexico and has extensive real estate holdings,” the entity said.
In 2018, at the trial of “El Chapo”, the brother of “El Mayo” Zambada, Jesús “El Rey” Zambada testified against him and “El Chapo”. As a cooperating witness and former member of the Sinaola cartel, Jesús Zambada said that Guzmán was one of the “most powerful drug traffickers in Mexico.”
“He was my brother’s partner. “My brother and ‘El Chapo’ reached an agreement that they were going to establish a 50-50 partnership,” he added.
