Accused Mexican drug kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is prepared to plead guilty to charges in the United States to avoid the death penalty, his attorney informed Reuters on Monday. Zambada faced 17 felony counts, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapons charges, during a federal court appearance in New York last September. His lawyer, Frank Perez, stated, "Mr. Zambada does not wish to face trial and is open to admitting guilt to charges that do not carry the death penalty."
An official from the U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn, responsible for the charges, declined to provide a statement. Zambada, aged in his 70s, was apprehended by U.S. authorities last July at a New Mexico airfield alongside one of Guzman's sons, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, marking a significant victory for American law enforcement.