Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and to racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors said the plea resolves major counts spanning multiple indictments and removes the death penalty from consideration. Zambada, 75, admitted leading an organization responsible for moving cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the United States over decades. Under the agreement, he faces a mandatory life sentence. The court scheduled sentencing for January 13, 2026. Justice Department officials described the outcome as the product of multi-agency investigations and said the decision not to seek capital punishment cleared the way for a negotiated disposition in Brooklyn.