Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Mayo’s Son Mayito Gordo Zambada Jailed For 9 Years As He Wages War With El Chapo’s Sons

The son of Sinaloa Cartel topman El Mayo Zambada was sentenced on Friday to nine years in prison after previously pleading guilty to charges of importing and distributing methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana into the U.S. Ismael “Mayito Gordo” Zambada Imperial admitted to his crimes in April 2021 and was handed the sentence by Judge Danna Sabraw of the Federal Court of the Southern District of California.

According to Borderland Beat, the 38-year-old Mayito Gordo's sentence included a credit for the years he has been detained in American prisons since his capture and extradition in November 2014. This leaves him with only one year to serve and is set to be released in July next year. He will continue to serve his prison term behind the walls of the San Diego Metropolitan Detention Center. It is unclear if there are plans to transfer him to a different prison at any time while serving the rest of his sentence.

Mayito Gordo admitted to having sent around 90 kilos of heroin and 450 kilos of cocaine under the Sinaloa Cartel. Judge Sabraw addressed him during his sentencing and warned him of the seriousness of his crimes although these were small amounts in comparison to the bulk of criminal transactions and the size of the Sinaloa Cartel.

"You admit that you became a leader within the Sinaloa Cartel and were responsible for various aspects of the cartel's operations, specifically... the transportation and the distribution of large quantities of illicit substances”.

When he pled guilty on April 30, 2021, Mayito Gordo also agreed to fork out $5 million to the United States government.

After the capture of Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo” Guzman Loera in 2016, Mayito Gordo’s father, “El Mayo” took over the cartel operations. Similarly, his eldest brother Vicente “El Vicentillo” Zambada, 47, was also credited for the time he spent in prison after his arrest and extradition in March 2009. El Vicentillo struck a deal with US officials to turn witness against El Chapo in 2013. He was handed a 15-year prison term but due to his cooperation, he was offered the credit and was released in 2021. Since then his whereabouts have been a mystery and has not gone back with the cartel. Talk has it that El Vicentillo remains guarded by the U.S. government under its witness protection program.