Judge authorizes transfer of El Mayo Zambada to New York

A federal judge ruled yesterday that the co-founder of the cartel Sinaloa Ismael El Mayo Zambada, who was arrested a few months ago in the United States, may be transferred from Texas to New York, where he will face a new trial on charges of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute drugs such as cocaine and fentanyl.

The order by El Paso Judge Kathleen Cardone came after attorneys for El Mayo Zambada said they no longer oppose the prosecutor’s request for transfer.

El Mayo Zambada, 76, was arrested in July along with Joaquín Guzmán López, son of the renowned drug trafficker Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán, at an airport near El Paso. Both are accused in the United States of various drug trafficking crimes and remain in prison.

Zambada, who faces charges in multiple jurisdictions, has appeared in federal court in El Paso, where he pleaded not guilty to several of the charges.

Judge Cardone noted in her order that Zambada must complete his legal process in New York before continuing his proceedings in Texas.

El Chapo Guzmán was convicted in 2019 on drug trafficking and conspiracy charges in New York and was sentenced to life in prison.

In New York, El Mayo Zambada is accused of running a criminal enterprise, conspiracy to commit murder, drug trafficking and other crimes.

The defendant has said he came to the United States after being kidnapped in his home country on his way to what he thought would be a meeting with a Mexican official.

Joaquín Guzmán López pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges on Tuesday, days after his surprise capture in the United States.

Guzmán López has appeared in federal court in Chicago, where he has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges.