President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that her government is not concerned about what cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada may reveal during his expected guilty plea in a Brooklyn federal court later in the day. “Any matter involving Mexico must be supported by evidence and go through the Fiscalía General de la República,” she told reporters, adding that U.S. authorities have not provided new details on the case. Zambada, 77, a longtime co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, is scheduled to change his plea to guilty on 17 counts ranging from narcotics trafficking and money laundering to firearms violations. Prosecutors have already agreed to drop the death-penalty option, clearing the way for a negotiated sentence in exchange for cooperation. The Mexican kingpin was handed over to U.S. custody in July 2024. While court filings suggest he may share information with U.S. investigators, Sheinbaum said any statements that touch on Mexican officials or institutions would undergo normal legal vetting. The plea deal could signal a strategic shift by the cartel aimed at avoiding a high-profile trial such as the 2019 proceeding against Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
🇺🇸🇲🇽 Sheinbaum asegura que no hay inquietud por lo que ‘El Mayo’ Zambada declare en EU La presidenta también aseguró que su Administración desconoce el acuerdo que existe entre el capo y las autoridades estadounidenses. https://t.co/YKoph7KJli https://t.co/TDO3JfskBi
#EnLaMañanera | 🇺🇸🇲🇽 Las declaraciones de "El Mayo" no generan inquietud en el Gobierno de Sheinbaum, así lo afirmó la Presidenta https://t.co/2NpLZe4K8E
“Cualquier tema que tuviera que ver con México tiene que pasar por pruebas y por la FGR”, dijo la presidenta Sheinbaum sobre el caso de Ismael ‘Mayo’ Zambada . https://t.co/0dmH7xnZ3o