El Mayo Zambada Sentenced To Life, Ordered To Forfeit $15 Billion
Judge Brian Cogan closed Ismael Zambada's Sinaloa Cartel case in Brooklyn, built on an August 2025 guilty plea to racketeering.
- Pleaded guilty August 25, 2025, admitting he led the enterprise and joined the RICO conspiracy.
- Court entered a $15 billion forfeiture money judgment against him at sentencing.
- Prosecutors said he spent nearly four decades poisoning American communities for billions in profit.
Why it matters: Four decades of drug trafficking at this scale needed protection from within the state, not mere neglect.
DOJ Eastern District of New York press release ↗ · Jul 20, 20267/20/26 · ✓ Checked✓ Check