Mexican drug lord Ismael Zambada García, alias “El Mayo,” co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel along with Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, appeared on Thursday, August 1, before a federal court in the United States, a week after he was arrested by surprise upon landing in the city of El Paso, Texas. It should be noted that the boss appeared before the judge in a wheelchair.
The alleged drug trafficker was dressed in a dark blue sweater with the words “carpe diem” (live now, in Latin) on an image of a soccer ball. He appeared in a wheelchair at his first status conference before U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone, who listened to him give an update on his case to his lawyers and government lawyers, EFE reported.
Evidence search process delayed
During the hearing, which lasted less than 10 minutes, the judge granted a request by the prosecution and defense to delay proceedings for at least 30 days to allow time to gather evidence. The next hearing, she said, was scheduled for September 9 at 1:00 p.m. local time.
Ismael Zambada, 76, pleaded not guilty last week through his lawyer to the 14 charges against him, which include drug trafficking and money laundering and stem from an indictment filed in 2012.
It is not yet clear whether he will be tried in Texas, as he has at least four other pending charges in New York, California, the District of Columbia and Illinois. Pending a decision, he will remain in custody without bail in El Paso, Texas.
During the session, Zambada used a headset and only spoke once, to say “yes” in response to a question from the judge about his legal representation’s “conflicts of interest.”
The judge recalled that the lawyer, Frank Pérez, was part of the defense of Mayo’s son, Jesús Vicente Zambada, in Illinois, and asked him directly if he knew about this “conflict” and if he agreed with it.
U.S. officials said last week that Guzman Lopez, 38, son of “El Chapo” Guzman, tricked “El Mayo” Zambada into boarding a plane by telling him they were going to look for property in northern Mexico, only to fly north of the border, where Guzman Lopez planned to turn himself in, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, Zambada’s son was released by US authorities after being sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2019 and, according to US media, is now under a witness protection program.
Prosecutors said cartel members under the leadership of Ismael Zambada and El Chapo kidnapped a Texas resident in 2009 to pay for the loss of a confiscated marijuana shipment, and abducted a U.S. citizen and two of his family members in 2010. Both victims were killed, prosecutors said, Reuters explained.
Sick and weak
“El Mayo,” a powerful drug trafficker who had never been arrested and was in hiding for almost 40 years despite being considered one of the DEA’s most wanted men for decades, looked thin and weak during the hearing, EFE said.
As everyone in the federal courtroom stood up upon Judge Cardone’s entrance, Zambada touched his attorney’s arm to get help out of his wheelchair, but was unsuccessful.
The area reserved for the court hearing was filled with Latin American and American journalists, and in the area reserved for the family sat four men and two women.
The entrance to the courtroom was guarded by U.S. Marshals who searched the belongings of all attendees and patrolled the grounds of the courthouse with dogs throughout the morning.
Arrested in El Paso, Texas
El Mayo was captured on July 25 after disembarking from a small plane at a regional airport outside El Paso. Traveling with him was Joaquín Guzmán López, one of del Chapo’s sons, his former partner who is now serving a life sentence.
Guzmán López, alias “El Guero,” was transferred to Chicago where he pleaded “not guilty” to the drug trafficking crimes for which he is charged.
The circumstances surrounding the arrest of “El Mayo,” who had managed to evade authorities for decades, are full of unknowns.
His Texas-based lawyer, Frank Perez, told EFE that Mayo arrived in the United States “against his will.”
Guzmán López’s intention was reportedly to benefit his brother Ovidio Guzmán, who was extradited to the United States in September of last year.
The U.S. Justice Department, which portrayed the arrest of Zabada and Guzman Lopez as a blow to drug cartels, has declined to provide further information on the case.
With information from EFE and Reuters
Keep reading:
- Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada will remain in custody without bail in the U.S.
- Son of “El Chapo” Guzmán pleads “not guilty” before federal judge in Chicago
- Authorities on alert on Mexico’s northern border after the capture of ‘El Mayo’