Drug kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada set to confess to federal offenses in the United States.

Drug kingpin Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada to admit guilt to federal indictments

In a significant development, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, the longtime leader of the Sinaloa cartel, is expected to plead guilty to federal charges in a change of plea hearing scheduled for Monday in Brooklyn, New York.

Zambada, who is 77 years old, was arrested in Texas last year and is now facing charges related to his activities as a leader in the Sinaloa cartel. The charges include one count of running a continuing criminal enterprise and one count of racketeering conspiracy.

The Sinaloa cartel, co-founded by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzman, evolved into the largest drug trafficking organization in the world under Zambada's leadership. The cartel is infamous for its violent and militarized operations, with a private security force and a cadre of hitmen who carried out assassinations, kidnappings, and torture.

The guilty plea will be related to Zambada's role in the drug trade that flooded the US with cocaine, heroin, and other illicit substances. His two sons, who ran a cartel faction, also face federal charges.

Federal prosecutors will not seek the death penalty against Zambada. In a court filing ahead of Monday's hearing, they expect him to plead guilty to the charges against him. However, as of Friday, lawyers for Zambada did not respond to an email seeking comment.

It's important to note that Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzman was sentenced to life in prison following his conviction in the same federal court in Brooklyn in 2019. The identity of the lawyer representing Zambada at his court appearance on Monday has not been named in the available information.

This plea agreement, if confirmed, marks a significant blow to the Sinaloa cartel and could potentially lead to further investigations and prosecutions. The public will be closely watching the developments in this case.