Son of Sinaloa Cartel drug lord makes a deal

Vicente Zambada

The son of Sinaloa Cartel boss Ismael Zambada has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in a United States federal court. Vicente Zambada, 43, a top cog for the cartel, said in a plea agreement he will cooperate with prosecutors in the hope that in exchange he will receive a reduced sentence and protection for his family from retribution. The cooperation agreement means that Zambada will probably be a witness at the trial of El Chapo, which is set to start next week. Zambada’s appearance was the first time that he has faced a judge in person since his extradition to the US in 2010. He's been in maximum security since.

Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada

El Chapo's trial begins Tuesday.

While Guzmán and Vicente Zambada face justice in the United States, the latter’s father,'El Mayo', continues to run the Sinaloa Cartel. Ismael Zambada García, a 70-year-old former poppy-field worker and long-time partner of El Chapo, has evaded the law through a trafficking career spanning half a century. The State Department is offering a US $5m reward for information that leads to his capture.

Starting in the the early 1990s, Vicente Zambada admitted to overseeing the importation of cocaine from Colombia and its shipment across the Mexico-United States border at Ciudad Juárez and onto cities in the US. He could face life but prosecutors will recommend a sentence not exceeding 10 years if he cooperates as promised. Zambada’s family will be allowed to stay permanently in the US.