Q COSTARICA — The guily plea by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, who has led the Sinaloa Cartel since 1989 and been involved in drug trafficking for five decades, on Monday in a Brooklyn federal court to U.S. drug trafficking charges could have repercussions in Costa Rica.
Zambada, who co-headed the organization with Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán until El Chapo was caught in 2016. Now that the cartel’s two main leaders are behind bars, shifts inside the group are likely, possibly sparking violence and the fall of other leaders both nationally and regionally.
The 39th International Drug Control Conference (IDEC XXXIX) kicked off this Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, drawing top officials like the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and police chiefs from across the globe. CR Hoy is on the ground covering the event.The arrest of Zambada and the prospect of his sentencing in January 2026 is a big win for the investigative police force. Still, they acknowledge the challenge remains, with close partners involved in drug trafficking and money laundering operating right in Central America.
This issue was addressed at the three-day 39th International Drug Control Conference (IDEC XXXIX), which commenced this Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, and includes top representatives of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and police chiefs from around the world, including Costa Rica’s Deputy Director of the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), Michael Soto.
Zambada’s capture and possible sentencing in January 2026 represent a cause for celebration for the DEA, but at the same time, it recognizes the existence of very close partners in Central America, both in drug distribution and money laundering.
The 77-year-old Zamabda pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of running a continuing criminal enterprise two weeks after prosecutors said they wouldn’t seek the death penalty against him. Instead, he’s expecting to be sentenced to life in prison.
“The Cartel’s distribution networks have also supported money laundering efforts that have returned billions of dollars in illegal profits generated by drug sales in the United States to the Cartel.
“The increased profits allowed the Cartel’s operations to grow a large-scale narcotics transportation network involving the use of land, air, and sea transportation assets, ultimately leading the Cartel to ship multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America, through Central America and Mexico, and ultimately to the United States,” the DEA confirmed to CRhoy.com, which is covering the event.
Impact in Costa Rica
Costa Rica was a key drug trafficking hub for the Sinaloa Cartel. US authorities hope that this conviction and the statements of witnesses close to Zambada will identify individuals in Costa Rica linked to the clan.
Before being summoned to New York, “El Mayo” was already facing an indictment in the Eastern District Court of Texas for his incursions in that state.
Coincidentally, the same court is requesting the extradition of Celso Gamboa, whom the DEA identifies in the investigation file as the regional representative of the Sinaloa Cartel in part of Costa Rica.
Gamboa is charged with two federal counts of international drug trafficking, in the same Texas courtroom where “El Mayo” already had a criminal record.
The case against Gamboa indicates that he operated in a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) with branches in South America, Central America, and North America, responsible for shipping tons of cocaine to the United States.
In Costa Rica, Gamboa is linked to “La H” or “Los Hondureños,” with whom he apparently acted as an arm of the Sinaloa Cartel in Central America.
Sinaloa cartel
The Sinaloa cartel is Mexico’s oldest criminal organization, tracing its roots back to the 1970s. It holds significant influence in drug trafficking, with even a former Mexican cabinet official convicted for accepting bribes to support the cartel.
Known as a skilled negotiator, Zambada acted as the cartel’s strategist and dealmaker, playing a more hands-on role in daily operations than the flamboyant Guzmán. Still, prosecutors claim Zambada was deeply involved in the cartel’s violent acts, including reportedly ordering the killing of his own nephew.
U.S. authorities had been after Zambada for over twenty years, yet he managed to avoid arrest anywhere until last year, when Texas law enforcement finally caught him. He landed on a private plane alongside Joaquín Guzmán López, one of El Chapo’s sons. Joaquín Guzmán López has entered a not guilty plea on federal drug trafficking charges in Chicago, while his brother, Ovidio Guzmán López, admitted guilt just last month.
Zambada has said he was kidnapped in Mexico and taken against his will to the U.S. He had often been at odds with Guzmán’s sons, dubbed the Chapitos, a term that translates to “little Chapos.”
With files from CNN.com, ElFinanciero.com.mx, EFE, Crhoy.com. An AI-powered writing assistant was used for parts of this article.