NEW YORK, Jan 15 (Reuters) - The accused Mexican kingpin made the decision on Wednesday to retain the same lawyer who is representing him against drug trafficking charges in the U.S., despite a potential conflict of interest.
The lawyer, Frank Perez, who represents Zambada, has also represented his son, Vicente Zambada Niebla, who prosecutors suggest could testify against him in court. Zambada Niebla had previously testified against Guzman, who co-founded the infamous Sinaloa Cartel with Zambada.
Zambada, who is in his seventies, . Guzman, 67, was convicted in 2019 and is serving a life sentence in a high-security prison in Colorado.
During a hearing before U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan in Brooklyn on Wednesday, Zambada waived any conflict of interest arising from Perez's representation of his son.
Zambada Niebla, aged 49, was detained in Mexico in 2009 and extradited to the U.S. the following year on charges related to cocaine trafficking. He pleaded guilty in 2018 and was given a 15-year prison sentence. Prosecutors confirmed that he has since been released.
In Guzman's trial, Zambada Niebla testified about his father's position as a leader in the Sinaloa Cartel.
A trial date for Zambada has not been scheduled yet. Prosecutors at the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's office noted in a filing on Dec. 18 that they intended to list Zambada Niebla as a potential witness, although they couldn't predict the likelihood of his being summoned.
Zambada was apprehended on July 25, 2024, at an airfield in New Mexico, along with one of Guzman's sons, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, marking a significant achievement for U.S. law enforcement.