Sinaloa cartel's “El Mayo” pleads not guilty to drug charges in US court | Court news

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, co-founder of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel, has pleaded not guilty in a New York court to drug trafficking, murder and other charges, months after his dramatic arrest and transfer to U.S. custody.

At a hearing on Friday in Brooklyn, New York, Zambada pleaded guilty to the 17 charges against him, including money laundering and weapons offenses.

US Judge James Cho ordered 76-year-old Zambada to be held in prison until his trial.

Prosecutor Francisco Navarro described Zambada as “one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, drug lords in the world.”

“A prison cell in the United States is the only thing that will deter the defendant from committing further crimes and can ensure his return to court,” he said at the hearing.

According to federal authorities, Zambada has been wanted by law enforcement for more than two decades. He has been in U.S. custody since July 25, when he landed a private plane at an airport outside El Paso, Texas.

He was accompanied by another fugitive cartel leader, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Guzman Lopez is currently awaiting trial in Chicago on another charge. In late July, he pleaded not guilty in federal court to drug trafficking and other charges.

Zambada's arrest was surrounded by numerous questions and raised fears that there could be more drug-related violence in Mexico, as well as heightened tensions between the Mexican and U.S. governments.

Last month, Zambada's lawyer said Guzman Lopez and six men in military uniforms “violently kidnapped” his client near the Sinaloa state capital of Culiacán and flew him to the United States against his will.

However, the Guzman family's lawyer denied the accusation of kidnapping and instead spoke of a voluntary surrender after lengthy negotiations.

Zambada also described his arrest as a “kidnapping” in a statement released through his lawyer in mid-August. “I was ambushed,” he said.

However, experts believe that the manner of his arrival in the United States will have little impact on his criminal proceedings.

If convicted on all counts, Zambada faces at least a life sentence and possibly the death penalty.

He also pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in Texas.

In a letter to the judge, US prosecutors described him as “one of the most notorious and dangerous drug traffickers in the world.”

“The defendant had an arsenal of military-grade weapons to protect himself, his drugs and his empire,” they wrote.

“His heavily armed private security forces were used as his personal bodyguards and to protect drug shipments throughout Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and beyond,” the letter continues.

“In addition, he maintained a cadre of 'sicarios,' or assassins, who carried out gruesome assassinations and kidnappings to maintain discipline within his organization, protect it from challenges from rivals, and silence those who cooperated with law enforcement.”

Due to increasing criminal violence, much of it linked to drug trafficking and gang activity, more than 450,000 people have been murdered in Mexico since 2006.

According to experts, Zambada's arrest coincided with an increase in violence in Culiacán, where various factions of the Sinaloa cartel are vying to fill the power vacuum.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador briefly addressed the violence in his press conference on Friday morning and called on the cartel to “prevent further loss of life.”

The warring parties must “look for other ways” to resolve their differences, Lopez Obrador said, “so that they do not harm innocent people.”

“They should also take care of themselves and their families,” he added.