The U.S. Justice Department has formally told federal judges that it will not seek the death penalty against three high-profile Mexican cartel figures: Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, Rafael Caro Quintero and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes. Court filings dated 5 Aug. state that Attorney General-level authority was obtained to drop capital charges, a rarity in U.S. federal narcotics cases. Zambada, 77, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, was arrested on 25 July 2024 at a small airport outside El Paso and is awaiting trial in the Eastern District of New York on 17 counts that include drug trafficking, firearms violations and money-laundering. The case is overseen by Judge Brian Cogan, who previously handled Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s prosecution. Caro Quintero, 72, the onetime “Narco de Narcos” extradited from Mexico in February, faces charges tied to the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena as well as leading a continuing criminal enterprise. Carrillo Fuentes, former head of the Juárez Cartel and extradited the same day, is charged with large-scale cocaine and marijuana distribution and witness killings. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty. By removing the prospect of capital punishment, prosecutors clear the way for potential plea negotiations while still leaving life sentences on the table. The decision follows February’s record 29-person extradition by Mexico and comes amid heightened bilateral cooperation on cartel violence.