Lawyer Frank Pérez, who represents Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, is actively working to prevent his client from receiving the death penalty or life imprisonment in the United States and is also seeking the support of the Mexican government to achieve Zambada's repatriation. Together with his legal advisor in Mexico, Juan Manuel Delgado Gómez, they submitted a consular assistance request to the Secretary of Foreign Relations (SRE), asking for Zambada's return to Mexico.
In the request, it is argued that the capture of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada was the result of a kidnapping and forced transfer to U.S. territory against his will. According to a letter shared by journalist Laura Sánchez Ley, Zambada stated: 'I was deprived of my liberty in national territory, through physical coercion and deception, and I was coercively transferred from Mexican territory to the United States by a Mexican individual, without the authorization of Mexican authorities or in compliance with legal procedures.'
The capture of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada took place at El Paso International Airport, Texas, on July 25, 2024, alongside Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán. It is rumored that Guzmán López turned in Zambada in hopes of obtaining a sentence reduction for himself and his brother Ovidio Guzmán, also known as 'El Ratón.' The two leaders of the Los Chapitos faction are currently negotiating a plea agreement for drug-related offenses.
Following the capture of 'El Mayo' Zambada, the Attorney General's Office of Mexico accused the son of 'El Chapo' Guzmán of treason against the homeland and considered the transfer of the criminal leader illegal. In documents submitted by Frank Pérez, several applicable international and national legal instruments regarding irregular transfers of Mexican citizens are mentioned, including the Treaty between Mexico and the United States of America to prohibit cross-border kidnappings, signed in 1994.
Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada faces 17 charges in the United States, including drug trafficking, organized crime, money laundering, and illegal possession of firearms. Zambada and his lawyer are expected to continue negotiating a plea agreement with U.S. authorities to reduce his sentence. The case is being handled in the Federal Court for the Eastern District of New York, and the next hearing for the Sinaloa Cartel leader is scheduled for April 22, 2025.
