Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael Zambada gets life sentence in US

Ismael Zambada, a co-founder of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, has been sentenced to life in prison in the United States. The 76-year-old, widely known as 'El Mayo,' was also ordered to forfeit $15 billion, one of the largest financial penalties ever imposed in a drug case. Zambada pleaded guilty to charges of running a continuing criminal enterprise and conspiring to distribute massive amounts of illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, into the United States over several decades. Prosecutors described him as one of the most notorious drug traffickers in history. Zambada's Sinaloa Cartel, based in Mexico, is responsible for smuggling vast quantities of narcotics across the border, fueling addiction and violence in the United States. The cartel's operations have been linked to thousands of deaths. Zambada was arrested in Mexico in 2023 and later extradited to the US. His sentencing marks a major victory for US law enforcement in its fight against drug trafficking. The judge called his crimes 'devastating' and said the life sentence reflects the severity of his offenses. The case highlights ongoing efforts by US authorities to dismantle major drug organizations. Zambada's associate, Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, is also serving a life sentence in a US prison.