(NEW YORK) — Ismael Mario Zambada García, the former drug lord and top leader of the Sinaloa cartel known as El Mayo, will plead guilty to federal drug charges brought by the United States Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, according to an entry on the court docket.
El Mayo is due in court next week for a conference that, according to the docket, is now a “change of plea” hearing.
Federal prosecutors said earlier this month they would not seek the death penalty for Zambada, who helped build the Sinaloa cartel from a regional group to a major smuggler of cocaine, heroin and other illicit drugs into U.S., authorities have said.
He was charged with 17 counts related to drug trafficking, firearms offenses and money laundering. It was not immediately clear to what charge or charges he would plead guilty.
Zambada was arrested in Texas last summer after arriving in a private plane with one of Joaquin Guzmán’s sons, Joaquín Guzmán López.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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