NEW YORK: Former Mexican cartel kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada is expected to plead guilty Monday to federal charges related to his role in the violent drug trade that for years flooded the US with cocaine, heroin and other illicit substances.
The longtime leader of the Sinaloa cartel is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Brooklyn for a change of plea hearing.
The appearance comes after federal prosecutors said two weeks ago that they wouldn’t seek the death penalty against Zambada, who was arrested in Texas last year.
Prosecutors, in a court filing ahead of Monday’s hearing, said they expect the 77-year-old to plead guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of running a continuing criminal enterprise.
Zambada pleaded not guilty last year to a range of drug trafficking and related charges, including gun and money laundering offenses.
Lawyers for Zambada didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday.
Prosecutors say the Sinaloa cartel evolved from a regional player into the largest drug trafficking organization in the world under the leadership of Zambada and co-founder Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman.
They say Zambada presided over a violent, highly militarized cartel with a private security force armed with powerful weapons and a cadre of “sicarios,” or hitmen, that carried out assassinations, kidnappings and torture.
Guzman was sentenced to life behind bars following his conviction in the same federal court in Brooklyn in 2019. His two sons, who ran a cartel faction, also face federal charges.
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Mexican drug lord Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada to plead guilty to federal charges
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Mexican drug lord Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada to plead guilty to federal charges
- Longtime leader of the Sinaloa cartel is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Brooklyn for a change of plea hearing
- Appearance comes after federal prosecutors said two weeks ago that they wouldn’t seek the death penalty against Zambada
Global leaders commit $1.9 billion to eradicate polio amid funding cuts
Global leaders pledged $1.9 billion to advance polio eradication on Monday, accelerating efforts to protect 370 million children from polio each year amid significant funding cuts.
The budget of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a partnership that includes the World Health Organization and the Gates Foundation, is expected to take a 30 percent cut in 2026 and has a funding gap of $1.7 billion up to 2029.
The shortfall is largely due to a global pullback from foreign aid, led by the US, which is withdrawing from the WHO, although its future funding for polio is not yet final. Other wealthy donor governments like Germany and the UK have also made cuts.
The GPEI partners, in response, plan to focus more on surveillance and vaccination in areas with a high risk of polio transmission.
“The new support pledged in Abu Dhabi will be instrumental in helping the GPEI reach all children in the final endemic countries and stop variant polio outbreaks around the world.” said Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.
The pledging event, hosted by Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity at Abu Dhabi Finance Week, will reduce the remaining resource gap for GPEI’s 2022 to 2029 strategy to $440 million.
Pledges were made from a diverse group of donors and countries, including $1.2 billion from the Gates Foundation and $450 million from Rotary International.
The budget of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a partnership that includes the World Health Organization and the Gates Foundation, is expected to take a 30 percent cut in 2026 and has a funding gap of $1.7 billion up to 2029.
The shortfall is largely due to a global pullback from foreign aid, led by the US, which is withdrawing from the WHO, although its future funding for polio is not yet final. Other wealthy donor governments like Germany and the UK have also made cuts.
The GPEI partners, in response, plan to focus more on surveillance and vaccination in areas with a high risk of polio transmission.
“The new support pledged in Abu Dhabi will be instrumental in helping the GPEI reach all children in the final endemic countries and stop variant polio outbreaks around the world.” said Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.
The pledging event, hosted by Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity at Abu Dhabi Finance Week, will reduce the remaining resource gap for GPEI’s 2022 to 2029 strategy to $440 million.
Pledges were made from a diverse group of donors and countries, including $1.2 billion from the Gates Foundation and $450 million from Rotary International.
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