President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Mexico will evaluate requesting a portion of the $15 billion to be seized from Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada after his life sentence in the United States.
During the July 21, 2026 morning press conference, Sheinbaum confirmed that the Attorney General’s Office will analyze whether to request from the United States a share of the assets seized from the Sinaloa Cartel co-founder. Judge Brian Cogan handed down the life sentence and approved the forfeiture of $15 billion in assets.
The president noted that the total seizure of the resources has not yet been confirmed. “We will see with the Fiscalía. It does not mean they have already been seized,” she said. The U.S. prosecutor’s office admitted it has not yet located any of Zambada’s assets.
Sheinbaum agreed with the drug trafficker’s call for young people to stay away from violence, although she acknowledged it is “difficult to cite him.” She stated her government focuses on addressing the causes of crime from the start of her administration.
Federal prosecutor Joseph Nocella said the sentence brings justice to the victims of the Sinaloa Cartel, noting Zambada ordered murders and poisoned communities for nearly four decades.
