“El Mayo” Zambada’s Transfer to New York Blocked by Texas Federal Judge

El Paso, Texas–On September 4, 2024, Judge Kathleen Cardone of the U.S. Federal District Court for the Western District of Texas denied a request to transfer Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, to face charges in the Eastern District of New York. The U.S. government had sought to prioritize Zambada’s prosecution in Brooklyn, where Judge Brian M. Cogan would try him for large-scale drug trafficking and running a criminal enterprise.

Judge Cardone, however, rejected the argument that the New York charges took precedence over those in Texas. She pointed out that in Texas, Zambada faces not only drug trafficking, weapons, and money laundering charges but also accusations of ordering the murders of four individuals. These charges, she argued, had a particularly severe impact on the El Paso community. She also emphasized that no legal precedents or procedural rules compelled her to approve the transfer.

“The government had the discretion to choose which arrest warrant to act upon when Zambada was taken into custody, and they chose the one from the Western District of Texas,” Cardone explained. She also outlined other options the Department of Justice could pursue to force the transfer, such as dropping the Texas charges or initiating special procedures in New York to request the Federal Marshals Service transfer Zambada.

Defense attorney Frank Pérez opposed the transfer, stating that the prosecution failed to justify why Zambada should be moved when the Texas case was already progressing, with an initial hearing and schedule set. He argued that procedural rules allow for only one initial hearing per district and that holding two in the same district was unwarranted.

In Texas, Zambada and 23 others face charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and violent crimes, including homicides tied to organized crime. Meanwhile, the New York case involves 17 charges related to the trafficking of over 250 tons of cocaine, in addition to fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana, and heroin, dating back to 1989. The indictment also includes allegations of conspiracy to commit murder and leading a criminal enterprise with Colombian cartels such as Norte del Valle and the Cifuentes Villa family.

Despite the scale of the charges in New York, Cardone ruled that Zambada’s prosecution in Texas, which includes murder charges, must proceed first. The Department of Justice now faces the decision of how to pursue Zambada’s prosecution in both districts while balancing the high-stakes charges in each case.

Source ZetaTijuana

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