Ismael Mario Zambada García | |
---|---|
Born | Ismael Mario Zambada García 1 January 1948[1] El Alamo, Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico[2] |
Other names | Mayo,[3] M-Z,[4] Padrino,[4] el Señor |
Occupation | Leader of Sinaloa Cartel |
Predecessor | Joaquin Guzmán Loera |
Successor | Ismael Zambada Sicairos[citation needed] |
Criminal status | Incarcerated pending trial |
Spouse | Rosario Niebla Cardoza |
Children | At least 8
|
Accomplice(s) | Juan José Esparragoza Moreno and Héctor Luis Palma Salazar |
Ismael Mario Zambada García (born 1 January 1948),[1] also known as El Mayo, is a Mexican former drug lord and top leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, an international crime syndicate based in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. Before he assumed leadership of the entire cartel, he allegedly served as the logistical coordinator for its Zambada García faction, which has overseen the trafficking of cocaine and heroin into Chicago and other US cities by aircraft, narcosubs, container ships, go-fast boats, fishing vessels, buses, rail cars, tractor trailers, and automobiles.[5]
Until his arrest in July 2024, he had never been arrested or incarcerated. He was arrested in El Paso, Texas, United States, and reported to be in US custody on 25 July 2024.[6][7]