Brian Cogan

Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada García, a co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, was sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. and ordered to forfeit $15 billion in drug trafficking profits. Judge Brian Cogan cited the scale of drug distribution and murders linked to Zambada as justification for the sentence, while the U.S. Justice Department emphasized the conviction's role in dismantling the cartel.

Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada Garcia, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, was sentenced to life in a U.S. prison and ordered to pay $15 billion in drug trafficking profits. The U.S. Department of Justice cited mandatory life imprisonment for the charges, and Garcia pleaded guilty in August 2025 after the DOJ declined to seek the death penalty.

Mexican drug kingpin Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada was sentenced to life in prison in the US after a plea deal in which he admitted to shipping millions of kilograms of cocaine as leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. US District Judge Brian Cogan imposed the sentence at a hearing in Brooklyn federal court.

Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, a Sinaloa Cartel leader, has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and will accept a life sentence but requests incarceration in a U.S. prison equipped to address his health issues. His lawyer, Frank A. Perez, has asked the court to recommend a suitable facility.

A U.S. District Judge preliminarily approved a $38 billion swipe fee settlement involving Visa and Mastercard, deeming the revised agreement 'fair, reasonable, and adequate.' However, major retail groups have announced plans to challenge the decision further.