Latest news with #Zambada
The Sun
06-08-2025
- The Sun
US drops death penalty for Mexican drug lords Caro Quintero, Zambada
NEW YORK: The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday it will not seek the death penalty for accused Mexican drug traffickers Rafael Caro Quintero and Ismael Zambada despite allegations of deep ties to cartel violence. Caro Quintero was extradited to the U.S. in February alongside 28 other suspected cartel members as part of the biggest handover by Mexico of drug trafficking suspects in 10 years. The septuagenarian had spent decades in prison in Mexico for the murder of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. His lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Zambada, known as El Mayo, is accused of co-founding the Sinaloa Cartel alongside convicted drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. He was arrested last year alongside Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of his former partner, at a small airport near El Paso, Texas. Both Caro Quintero and Zambada, also in his 70s, have pleaded not guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges. Zambada's lawyer, Frank Perez, told Reuters in February that his client would be willing to plead guilty in a deal that spared him the death penalty. On Tuesday, Perez said he was working with the government to resolve Zambada's case. 'We welcome the government's decision not to pursue the death penalty against our client,' Perez said. 'This marks an important step toward achieving a fair and just resolution.' - Reuters
Los Angeles Times
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
U.S. declines to pursue death penalty against trio of accused Mexican cartel kingpins
Federal authorities in the United States revealed Tuesday that they will not seek the death penalty against three reputed Mexican drug cartel leaders, including an alleged former partner of the infamous 'El Chapo' and the man accused of orchestrating the killing of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. Court filings showed decisions handed down in the trio of prosecutions, all being held in Brooklyn, N.Y. The cases involve drug and conspiracy charges against Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, 75, charged with running a powerful faction of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel; Rafael Caro Quintero, 72, who allegedly masterminded the DEA agent's torture and murder in 1985; and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, 62, also known as El Viceroy, who is under indictment as the ex-boss of the Juarez cartel. Prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York filed a letter in each case 'to inform the Court and the defense that the Attorney General has authorized and directed this Office not to seek the death penalty.' The decision comes despite calls by President Trump use capital punishment against drug traffickers and the U.S. government ratcheting up pressure against Mexico to dismantle organized crime groups and to staunch the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs across the border. A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It's rare for the death penalty to be in play against high-level Mexican cartel figures. Mexico long ago abolished capital punishment and typically extradites its citizens on the condition they are spared death. In Zambada's case, the standard restrictions did not apply because he was not extradited. Zambada was brought to the U.S. last July by a son of his longtime associate, Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán. Zambada alleges he was ambushed and kidnapped in Sinaloa by Joaquín Guzmán López, who forced him onto an airplane bound for a small airport outside El Paso, Texas. Zambada has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and remains jailed in Brooklyn while his case proceeds. A court filing in June said prosecutors and the defense had 'discussed the potential for a resolution short of trial,' suggesting plea negotiations are underway. Frank Perez, the lawyer representing Zambada, issued a statement Tuesday to The Times that said: 'We welcome the government's decision not to pursue the death penalty against our client. This marks an important step toward achieving a fair and just resolution.' Federal authorities announced in May that Guzmán López, 39, an accused leader of the Sinaloa cartel faction known as 'Los Chapitos,' would also not face the death penalty. He faces an array of drug smuggling and conspiracy charges in a case pending before the federal court in Chicago. Another son of El Chapo, Ovidio Guzmán López, 35, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms charge last month in Chicago. Court filings show he has agreed to cooperate with U.S. authorities in other investigations. Caro Quintero and Carrillo Fuentes were two of the biggest names among a group of 29 men handed over by Mexico to the U.S. in February. The unusual mass transfer was conducted outside the typical extradition process, which left open the possibility of the death penalty. Reputed to be a founding member of Mexico's powerful Guadalajara cartel in the 1980s, Caro Quintero is allegedly responsible for the brutal slaying of DEA agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena 40 years ago. The killing, portrayed on the Netlfix show 'Narcos: Mexico' and recounted in many books and documentaries, led to a fierce response by U.S. authorities, but Caro Quintero managed to elude justice for decades. Getting him on U.S. soil was portrayed a major victory by Trump administration officials. Derek Maltz, the DEA chief in February, said in a statement that Caro Quintero had 'unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades atop DEA's most wanted fugitives list.' Carrillo Fuentes is perhaps best known as the younger brother of another Mexican drug trafficker, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the legendary 'Lord of the Skies,' who died in 1997. Once close to El Chapo, El Mayo and other Sinaloa cartel leaders, the younger Carrillo Funtes split off to form his own cartel in the city of Juárez, triggering years of bloody cartel warfare. Kenneth J. Montgomery, the lawyer for Carrillo Fuentes, said Tuesday his client was 'extremely grateful' for the government's decision not to seek the death penalty.'I thought it was the right decision,' he said. 'In a civilized society, I don't think the death penalty should ever be an option.' Trump has been an ardent supporter of capital punishment. In January, he signed an order that directs the attorney general to 'take all necessary and lawful action' to ensure that states have enough lethal injection drugs to carry out executions. Trump's order directed the attorney general to pursue the death penalty in cases that involve the killing of law enforcement officers, among other factors. For years, Trump has loudly called for executing convicted drug traffickers. He reiterated the call for executions again in 2022 when announcing his intent to run again for president. 'We're going to be asking [that] everyone who sells drugs, gets caught selling drugs, to receive the death penalty for their heinous acts,' Trump said. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi lifted a moratorium on federal executions in February, reversing a policy that began under the Biden administration. In April, Bondi announced intentions to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the man charged with assassinating a UnitedHealthcare executive in New York City. Bonnie Klapper, a former federal narcotics prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York, reacted with surprise upon learning that the Trump administration had decided not to pursue capital cases against the accused kingpins, particularly Caro Quintero. Klapper, who is now a defense attorney, speculated that Mexico is strongly opposed to executions of its citizens and officials may have exerted diplomatic pressure to spare the lives of the three men, perhaps offering to send more kingpins in the future. 'While my initial reaction is one of shock given this administration's embrace of the death penalty, perhaps there's conversations taking place behind the scenes in which Mexico has said, 'If you want more of these, you can't ask to kill any of our citizens.''
NBC News
06-08-2025
- NBC News
U.S. won't seek death penalty for Mexican drug lords Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada and Rafael Caro Quintero
NEW YORK — U.S. prosecutors said Tuesday they won't seek the death penalty in their cases against Mexican cartel kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and Rafael Caro Quintero, the drug lord charged with orchestrating the 1985 killing of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent. Caro Quintero, 72, and Zambada, 75, have pleaded not guilty to an array of drug trafficking charges. The prosecutions are separate, but they similarly target two of Mexico's most notorious narcos. It is unclear whether taking the death penalty off the table signals any possibility of a plea deal with either or both men. Zambada's lawyer, Frank Perez, said only that the government's decision "marks an important step toward achieving a fair and just resolution." Prosecutors said last winter that they were having plea discussions with Zambada's lawyer. Prosecutors wouldn't comment further Tuesday after unveiling their death-penalty decision in brief letters to judges. A request for comment was sent to Caro Quintero's lawyer. The cases are unfolding in the same Brooklyn federal courthouse where infamous Sinaloa cartel co-founder Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán was tried and convicted. The Sinaloa cartel is Mexico's oldest criminal group, with various incarnations dating to the 1970s. It is a drug trafficking power player: A former Mexican cabinet member was convicted of taking bribes to help the cartel. Guzmán and Zambada built it from a regional group into a huge manufacturer and smuggler of cocaine, heroin and other illicit drugs to the U.S., authorities say. While Zambada was seen as the cartel's strategist and dealmaker, prosecutors have said he also was enmeshed in its violence, at one point ordering the murder of his own nephew. Zambada avoided capture for years, until he was arrested in Texas last year, after what he has described as a kidnapping in Mexico. One of Guzmán's sons, Joaquin Guzmán Lopez, was arrested with Zambada and has pleaded not guilty in a Chicago federal court. Caro Quintero headed the Guadalajara cartel, parts of which later merged into the Sinaloa organization. The White House has called him "one of the most evil cartel bosses in the world." Prosecutors say he is responsible for sending tons of heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine into the U.S. and had DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena abducted, tortured and killed as revenge for a marijuana plantation raid. The killing was dramatized in the Netflix series "Narcos: Mexico."
Winnipeg Free Press
05-08-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
US won't seek death penalty for Mexican drug lords Ismael ‘El Mayo' Zambada and Rafael Caro Quintero
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. prosecutors said Tuesday they won't seek the death penalty in their cases against Mexican cartel kingpin Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada and Rafael Caro Quintero, the drug lord charged with orchestrating the 1985 killing of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent. Caro Quintero, 72, and Zambada, 75, have pleaded not guilty to an array of drug trafficking charges. The prosecutions are separate, but they similarly target two of Mexico's most notorious narcos. It is unclear whether taking the death penalty off the table signals any possibility of a plea deal with either or both men. Zambada's lawyer, Frank Perez, said only that the government's decision 'marks an important step toward achieving a fair and just resolution.' Prosecutors said last winter that they were having plea discussions with Zambada's lawyer. Prosecutors wouldn't comment further Tuesday after unveiling their death-penalty decision in brief letters to judges. A request for comment was sent to Caro Quintero's lawyer. The cases are unfolding in the same Brooklyn federal courthouse where infamous Sinaloa cartel co-founder Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán was tried and convicted. The Sinaloa cartel is Mexico's oldest criminal group, with various incarnations dating to the 1970s. It is a drug trafficking power player: A former Mexican cabinet member was convicted of taking bribes to help the cartel. Guzmán and Zambada built it from a regional group into a huge manufacturer and smuggler of cocaine, heroin and other illicit drugs to U.S., authorities say. While Zambada was seen as the cartel's strategist and dealmaker, prosecutors have said he also was enmeshed in its violence, at one point ordering the murder of his own nephew. Zambada avoided capture for years, until he was arrested in Texas last year, after what he has described as a kidnapping in Mexico. One of Guzmán's sons, Joaquin Guzmán Lopez, was arrested with Zambada and has pleaded not guilty in a Chicago federal court. Caro Quintero headed the Guadalajara cartel, parts of which later merged into the Sinaloa organization. The White House has called him 'one of the most evil cartel bosses in the world.' Prosecutors say he is responsible for sending tons of heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine into the U.S. and had DEA agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena abducted, tortured and killed as revenge for a marijuana plantation raid. The killing was dramatized in the Netflix series 'Narcos: Mexico.'
The Star
25-07-2025
- The Star
Violence in Mexican state of Sinaloa continues one year after 'El Mayo' Zambada's arrest in US
Members of the National Guard guard a crime scene where a man was gunned down, as violence and economic turmoil escalate in Culiacan one year after the abduction and extradition of Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada to the United States, in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Jesus Bustamante Culiacan, Mexico (Reuters) -The street vendor said the few tourists who still visit Culiacan no longer look for posters of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and accused drug kingpinIsmael "El Mayo" Zambada, once the Mexican city's most famous residents. The posters, which for years were in high demand, have become symbolic of a spike in horrific violence sparked by an alleged betrayal that led to Zambada's arrest one year agoand fueled fighting within the Sinaloa cartel. "I imagine that at some point in my life, tourism will return to Culiacan," said Jazmin, who now sells a smattering of magnets, keychains, and mugs. She declined to share her last name because of the constant threat of violence in this once-bustling city of 1 million people. Friday marks one year since Zambada, one of Mexico's most infamous accused drug lords, was arrested at an airfield near El Paso, Texas, along with one of El Chapo's sons, Joaquin Guzman Lopez. Zambada says El Chapo's son, Joaquin, kidnapped him andturned him over to U.S. agents. The alleged betrayal was shocking. Prosecutors allege Zambada and "El Chapo" founded the Sinaloa cartel and represented different factions of the criminal organization. The arrests sparked a break in the group and triggered a wave of violence that continues. During the first six months of this year, authorities registered 883 homicides in Sinaloa compared to 224 during the same period a year earlier. The vast majority happened in Culiacan. The homicides may be just the beginning. Authorities say more than 1,500 people have gone missing in Sinaloa since September 2024, after Zambada's arrest. Security officials say criminal groups were involved in many of the disappearances. "Life in Culiacan is no longer the same," said a local official who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals. "There are no more parties here due to fear," he said, adding that schools prefer to hold classes online instead of in person. Security analysts say violence in the state is at the highest level since the last major split between criminal groups in 2008, when the Sinaloa cartel broke an alliance with the Beltran Leyva brothers' cartel. "It's one thing to break a pact through betrayal, as happened then, and another to hand over an important partner, as happened last year," said Tomas Guevara, an expert on security issues in Sinaloa, referring to Zambada's alleged abduction. "The situation is more gruesome these days,' he added. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has struggled to control the spiraling violence, sending thousands of heavily armed soldiers to Sinaloa to patrol the area, along with helicopters, armored vehicles, high-caliber weapons, and drones. Still, the discovery of corpses continues, sometimes piled up by the dozens. Bodies have been hung from bridges and mutilated with messages of revenge between rival groups. U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that Mexican authorities are "petrified" of the drug cartels and alleged they have enormous control in the country and over Mexican politicians. Sheinbaum said those allegations are blatantly untrue. Mexican Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch said on Sunday during a visit to Sinaloa that the government's priority is "restoring peace to families." Zambada said in February he was willing to plead guilty to charges related to drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapons possession if U.S. prosecutors take the death penalty off the table. (Reporting by Jesus Bustamente in Culiacan and Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City; Edited by Adriana Barrera and Rod Nickel)
