Justice presses for transfer of “El Mayo” Zambada to New York

The United States Department of Justice insists on bringing Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to a court in New York to face drug trafficking charges, but his defense is resisting and is seeking to have him face trial in Texas.

Therefore, The Justice Department has redoubled its efforts to speed up the process and transfer the co-founder of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel.

Zambada, who is currently in jail in the border city of El Paso (Texas) and has already had two court hearings, asked federal judge Kathleen Cardone last Friday to allow him to face trial in that state.

Zambada’s lawyers argued that moving him to New York to first face charges in that jurisdiction would violate his right to a speedy trial. in Texas.

In addition, in the motion, the Mexican’s defenders claim that the Justice Department has not explained why the appearance in New York should take priority over the judicial proceedings in Texas.

In response, Prosecutors filed a motion with the court alleging that Zambada “has not offered any plausible basis” to prevent his appearance in federal court in New York and that they are not obliged to argue which process should be followed first when there are numerous to choose from.

“El Mayo” Zambada faces at least 17 charges in the United States, five of them in New York. The most important one was filed in February 2024, when the Federal Court of the Western District of Brooklyn filed a “supercharge” with charges that include the distribution of fentanyl, an extremely lethal synthetic drug whose distribution by the Sinaloa Cartel headed by the drug lord is linked to the deaths of numerous American citizens from overdoses.

For now, Judge Kathleen Cardone, who is handling his case in the Federal Court of the Western District of Texas, agreed to suspend the “Speedy Trial” provisions to allow Zambada to first face the charges he has in the New York Court, however, So far, no date has been set for the extradition.

*With information from EFE.

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