The DEA identifies 'El Mayito Flaco' as a key figure in the operation of the Sinaloa Cartel. He has three brothers linked to drug trafficking: Vicente Zambada Niebla, Serafín Zambada Ortiz, and Ismael Zambada García alias 'Mayito Gordo', who was released from prison in early May 2023.
In the trial of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, the U.S. Attorney's Office considered the possibility of seeking the death penalty in New York. Judge Brian Cogan allowed this to be discussed during the proceedings. The appropriateness of the death penalty in this case was questioned.
'El Mayito Flaco' Zambada was named 'Fugitive of the Week' by the DEA in June 2023 for conspiracy to distribute drugs. Authorities describe him as dangerous and possibly armed, urging the public not to apprehend him on their own. He is the second son of Ismael Zambada García and María del Refugio Sicairos Aispuro.
The Sedena reported that 'El Mayito Flaco' leads a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. The detention of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada provoked violence in Sinaloa. 'El Max', related to 'El Mayo' Zambada, was detained by Sedena in an operation where 19 people died. Born in 1982, he is the head of a criminal cell and was first accused in 2013 of receiving methamphetamines from Asia for distribution in the United States.
