The US Attorney’s Office is negotiating with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada’s defense team to avoid a trial—while the death penalty remains on the table—and obtain a plea deal.
Zambada’s legal team stated that, for now, they are focused on withdrawing the death penalty by getting their client to accept the 17 charges against him; therefore, they ruled out extradition of the accused to Mexico.
Attorney Frank Pérez told Milenio that, even with the best defense, there is little chance that the Sinaloan man can be acquitted of the charges of organized crime, money laundering, firearms possession, cocaine trafficking, and fentanyl, so they have put aside any efforts to repatriate him.
He also recalled that the US Supreme Court establishes that Washington has the right to prosecute and keep in its custody any person, regardless of how they came into its possession.
The Settlement Process
“Both parties have exchanged certain evidentiary materials and continue to discuss a potential resolution to shorten the trial, while the capital case is being prosecuted and the government’s analysis of potentially classified evidence is still pending,” reads a letter filed by district attorneys in New York.
U.S. authorities stated that they intercepted calls and messages, drug seizures, and statements from potential witnesses against the Mexican as evidence in the event of a trial.
However, discussions for a possible resolution before trial are still ongoing; although the evaluation of a death penalty for the defendant is still pending.
Finally, the Prosecutor’s Office requested that Zambada’s next hearing, scheduled for April 22, be postponed until June 16 due to a conflict of availability between the former Sinaloa Cartel leader’s defense team and U.S. authorities; this request was approved by Judge Brian Cogan.
Source: proceso
