By Jesus Garcia
Sep 14, 2024, 1:32 PM EDT
NEW YORK.- Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, who faces 17 drug trafficking charges in New York, is locked up in the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Brooklyn, where Genaro García Luna, former Secretary of Public Security of Mexico, is also located, awaiting sentencing on October 9.
It is unclear whether Zambada García is in isolation because of the dangerous nature of his condition described by prosecutors in the Eastern District Court in New York, in addition to his health problems.
The lawyer for one of the founding leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, Frank Perez, told reporters Thursday that he did not know at that time where his client was or what his condition would be.
The lawyer was asked for more details about the imprisonment of “El Mayo” Zambada García, but so far there has been no response.
It is noteworthy that “El Mayo” and García Luna share prison, since the latter is awaiting sentencing after being found guilty of helping the Sinaloa Cartel.
Zambada Garcia is registered as prisoner 27102-511 of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), is 74 years old, according to his profile, and is listed as a white male. He has no release date.
At the arraignment hearing on Thursday, “El Mayo” pleaded “not guilty” before Magistrate Judge James Choon charges of conspiring to traffic drugs into the United States, including cocaine and fentanyl, as well as leading a criminal organization over a long period of time, in addition to the use of weapons and money laundering.
At the first hearing in New York, only attorney Pérez was present, who told this newspaper that “it was not necessary” for his colleague Ray Velarde to be in the session.
However, a court document revealed that the court had only recently approved permission for him to be part of the defense, because he is a lawyer in Texas.
There is still no date for the start of the trial of Zambada-Garciaand may still reach an agreement with prosecutors to cooperate on other cases.
Attorney Perez said that “there will be a trial,” but he did not make a forceful statement that there will not be an agreement later on.
“El Mayo” said that he had been advised by his defense not to face an expedited trial – in a maximum of 70 days – even though Judge Cho reminded him that this would mean being “locked up indefinitely.”
Zambada Garcia was extradited from El Paso, Texas, after being arrested along with Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. There are unconfirmed reports that “El Mayo” was “kidnapped,” but others indicate that there was an agreement to surrender to authorities.
Continue reading:
• What are the historical rivalries within the Sinaloa Cartel and how does the capture of “El Mayo” affect them?
• The capture of “El Mayo” was also a secret in the United States
• United States defends cooperation with Mexico against cartels after arrest of “El Mayo” Zambada