'Mayito Gordo', Son of Sinaloa Cartel Leader, Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking in San Diego, California

“MX” for Borderland Beat

Ismael Zambada Imperial, alias “El Mayito Gordo”, son of Sinaloa Cartel drug kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in San Diego, California.

In his plea agreement, Zambada-Imperial admitted to being a “major coordinator” of the Sinaloa Cartel, which including importing and distributing ton quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana from Mexico to the US. He also admitted to ordering acts of violence to further the criminal activities of the cartel.

Zambada-Imperial agreed forfeit US$5 million.

As reported by Keegan Hamilton from Vice News, Zambada-Imperial only admitted to shipping around 450 kg of cocaine and 90 kg of heroin.

“Those are relatively small quantities for a cartel that moves tons of drugs. Not exactly ‘major coordinator’ amounts”, he said on Twitter today.

His sentencing is scheduled a year from now, on 29 April 2022. He faces at least 10 years in prison as a “mandatory minimum” but could be sentenced up to life. The conviction also comes with a potential fine of up to $10 million.

Since Zambada-Imperial has been in custody for about five years, it is likely that the presiding judge will give him credit for time served. Zambada-Imperial also has no previous criminal convictions in the US, a factor that will likely grant him leniency when he is sentenced.

Because Zambada-Imperial is not a US citizen (unlike his half-brother Serafin Zambada Ortiz), he will be removed or deported from the US after his sentence is concluded. Judge Sabraw said that it was likely that he would be denied legal entry to the US in the future.

The 2013 indictment against him outlines the operations of the Sinaloa Cartel. The indictment describes how the cartel uses just about every mode of transportation to move a variety of drugs. When these drugs reach the US, they are stashed in safe houses along hte border before they are distributed across the country.

The profits are then funneled through sophisticated money laundering schemes or smuggled back into Mexico in bulk cash. This money is then used to pay cartel members and leaders, corrupt public officials, and/or reinvested into the business or the formal financial system.

Zambada-Imperial’s indictment says that the US government is seeking to forfeiture several assets, including a Cessna plane, a Mercedes McLaren, and two Lamborghinis.

His father, El Mayo, is the main defendent in the indictment. He ran the Sinalaoa Cartel along with the billionaire drug kingpin Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, who is currently in prison for life in the US.

Other of Zambada-Imperial’s siblings are also mentioned, including Ismael “Mayito Flaco” Zambada Sicairos and El Chapo’s son Ivan “Chapito” Archivaldo Guzman Salazar. These two are at large and are believed to be hiding in Mexico.

Two of El Mayo’s children have been convicted in the US. Vicente Zambada Niela (“El Vicentillo”), who testified against El Chapo during his Brooklyn trial, and the younger Serafin Zambada Ortiz, who was released in 2018 after a short stint in prison.

Sources: Keegan Hamilton (Twitter); San Diego Union Tribune; Infobae