Sinaloa cartel founder pleads guilty to all counts
Sinaloa's most powerful cartel founder has recently pleaded guilty to all counts of drug trafficking and will be sentenced to life in January of 2026.
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, founder of the Sinaloa cartel, has pleaded guilty to all counts of drug trafficking, conspiracy, and organized crime. This plead comes one year after his initial “not guilty” plea. U.S. officials have confirmed the plea and expect this arrest to lead to the end of one of Mexico’s oldest and most powerful cartels.
With Zambada’s arrest approaching us January 2026, U.S. citizens may believe that this plea will lead to the end of all the harm these drug trafficking cartels have caused both Americans and Mexicans.
President Claudia Sheinbaum called this plea a “critical moment for justice." While the arrest of an infamous drug lord may sound like a step in the right direction, citizens of Sinaloa believe it is just a matter of time until the cartel finds their next, and potentially more dangerous, leader.
“I do not feel any sense of relief that he’s gone because it’s only going to get worse and create more issues over who is going to take over. Mexico is very bad right now,” says Lilliana Torres, citizen of Sinaloa, “It’s the same as when El Chapo went away for prison. Ever since El Mayo took over, it has gotten worse. It’s a war. No one is calm. We expect the worst to happen.”
Analysts and citizens of Mexico have confirmed that there is never really an end to the cartel. There are multiple people who are persistent in keeping the violence going and escalating the amount of drug trafficking.
Zambada’s confession was also joined by an apology to those he has hurt through the process of shipping illegal drugs and asks for forgiveness.
As of now, Zambada can be connected to numerous crimes that range from the year 2000 up until 2012. He is expected to be sentenced to life behind bars following the cartels past leader, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
