Posted on 08/28/2025 1:14:01 PM PDT by Red Badger
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday said she would ask the United States to share the $15 billion it expects to extract from convicted Mexican drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada with her country's poor.
Sinaloa drug cartel co-founder Zambada pleaded guilty in a New York court on Monday to murder and drug trafficking, particularly of fentanyl — a powerful narcotic responsible for tens of thousands of US overdose deaths annually.
In pleading guilty, the 77-year-old avoided the possibility of the death penalty but still faces life imprisonment at a sentencing hearing due at a later date.
As part of the deal, Zambada, who had initially pleaded not guilty, agreed to forfeit $15 billion in ill-gotten gains.
Addressing her regular morning press conference, Sheinbaum said: "If the United States government were to recover resources, then we would be asking for them to be given to Mexico for the poorest people."
Zambada's fall, which follows that of fellow Sinaloa cartel founder Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, already serving a life sentence in the United States, has led to speculation that the cartel's days are numbered.
Mexico's Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch insisted Wednesday, however, that while some of the cartel's factions were diminished the organization was far from finished.
The cartel, which Washington has declared a terrorist group, is considered the biggest drug-trafficking organization in the world.
It operates on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border.
Zambada led ruthless cartel Sought by U.S. law enforcement for more than two decades, Zambada was taken into custody in July 2024 after arriving in a private plane at a Texas airport with Guzmán's son, Joaquín Guzmán López.
Zambada has said he was kidnapped in Mexico and hauled to the U.S. by Guzmán López, whose lawyer denies those claims.
According to prosecutors, Zambada presided over a vast and violent operation, with an arsenal of military-grade weapons, a private security force akin to an army, and a corps of "sicarios," or hitmen, who carried out assassinations, kidnappings and torture. Just months before his arrest, he ordered the murder of his own nephew, prosecutors said.
On Aug. 5, prosecutors said in a letter that Attorney General Pam Bondi had directed them not to pursue the death penalty for Zambada.
Following the July arrests and Zambada's allegations of kidnapping, horrific fighting erupted in Mexico between a cartel faction loyal to him and another tied to the "Chapitos," Guzmán's sons.
U.S. prosecutors say the Chapitos are known to torture their rivals while some of their victims were "fed dead or alive to tigers."
Earlier this month, Mexico sent 26 high-ranking cartel figures to the United States in the latest major deal with the Trump administration as American authorities ratchet up pressure on criminal networks smuggling drugs across the border.
Check’s in the mail, sweety!
Unbelievable.
Sweet, use it to pay for the Border Wall.
I’d say we already are. They’re all HERE!.............
bttt
Sure. After the US uses it to pay for all expenses related to the cartels.
Gfy pendeja
According to prosecutors, Mexican drug lord Ismael
Zambada (who will forfeit $15 billion in ill-gotten gains):
<><>presided over a vast and violent operation,
<><>with an arsenal of military-grade weapons,
<><>a private security force akin to an army,
<><>and a corps of “sicarios,” or hitmen,
<><>his violent hitmen carried out assassinations, kidnappings and torture.
<><>just months before his arrest, he ordered the murder of his own nephew.
That money should go as compensation to families whose loved ones were killed by fentanyl.
This is an opportunity to share and improve relations and cooperation between or neighboring country while ensuring that it does not get skimmed back to the cartels. I believe we save ourselves more in the long run when we finish securing our border then wipe out the cartels and those who are in their employ here and in Mexico. I realize that’s a lot of people.
Why should we accept and live with not being able to visit and drive all over Mexico in our own American vehicles safely and not fear robbery, murder, theft? Let’s make THEM afraid for a change.
Cartel mouthpiece demands a refund.
Considering that Mexico helped in his ca0ture I would tend to agree that it should be split.
A Mexican Senator has publicly accused Sheinbaum of taking cartel money, so even if we returned the money it’s not going to the poor.
Put it toward the wall
Western Union Money Transfer.
How about Mexico arresting their own criminals and giving the drug money to the poor? /sarc
what, and give up their kickbacks?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.