( Spanish) – Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada appeared in a court in New York to learn the 17 charges related to drug trafficking, money laundering and the use of weapons that he will face.
Accompanied by his legal team, El Mayo Zambada answered several questions from the judge, such as whether he understood the charges against him and his rights, with a “yes” or a “yes sir.”
After being arraigned, Zambada pleaded not guilty to all the charges he faces.
Delgado, wearing a khaki uniform and no handcuffs, was helped in and out of the court by a group of bailiffs and his lawyers.
The judge granted a request by U.S. prosecutors to detain Zambada permanently while he awaits trial. The next hearing in the case will be on Oct. 31.
If convicted on all charges, Zambada, 76, faces a minimum sentence of life in prison and could be eligible for the death penalty.
His lawyer, Frank Perez, said Friday that his client “is doing very well” and assured that there will be no agreement with the US authorities, and that he hopes that the case against the Mexican will be taken to trial.
Zambada has been in U.S. custody since July 25, when he landed on a private plane at an airport outside El Paso in the company of another fugitive Sinaloa cartel leader, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, according to federal authorities, as previously reported by .
Zambada later stated in a letter that he was forcibly kidnapped in Mexico and taken to the US by Guzmán López, son of El Chapo Guzmán.
In a letter to the judge in the case, prosecutors who asked for his permanent detention until trial called Zambada “one of the most notorious and dangerous drug traffickers in the world.”
“The defendant maintained an arsenal of military-grade weapons to protect himself, his drugs, and his empire,” they wrote. “His heavily armed private security forces were used as personal bodyguards and protection for drug shipments in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and other countries. He also had a cadre of ‘hitmen’ who carried out gruesome murders and kidnappings in order to maintain discipline within his organization, protect himself from challenges from rivals, and silence those who cooperated with law enforcement.”
This included ordering the murder, just months ago, of his own nephew, according to prosecutors.
News in development.
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