United States Drug Enforcement Administration

“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to every cartel, every foreign terrorist leader: no matter how powerful you become or how long you evade justice, DEA will not stop pursuing you. For decades, Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada García helped lead the Sinaloa Cartel – now designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization – fueling violence, corrupting public institutions, and trafficking fentanyl into the United States, where it has become a weapon of mass destruction that has claimed countless American lives. This outcome reflects the unwavering determination of DEA and our law enforcement partners, who never stopped pursuing this case. Justice does not have an expiration date, and neither does our resolve. We will continue targeting the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and every criminal organization that threatens the American people,” stated DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole. 

READ DOJ PRESS RELEASE