Naman Shrestha
Netflix’s ‘The Fall of El Mayo’ is a three-part true-crime documentary series that chronicles the crimes of the Sinaloa Cartel, helmed by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García and his partner Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. In the span of decades, the drug cartel trafficked huge amounts of cocaine and other drugs across Mexico and into the United States. While El Chapo was captured by the police multiple times, El Mayo managed to evade law enforcement for decades before finally getting apprehended in the summer of 2024. The docuseries delves deep into the criminal organization and how the authorities captured the notorious drug lord.
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García Was Allegedly Betrayed by One of El Chapo’s Sons
Born on January 31, 1950, Ismael Mario “El Mayo” Zambada García grew up in rural Sinaloa, where he entered the drug trade in his teenage years. According to him, he had dropped out of school after sixth grade and was around 19 years old when he planted his first marijuana. By the 1970s, he was involved in marijuana smuggling but later began dealing in other drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. Through the 1980s and 1990s, he worked with the Juárez Cartel before establishing his own cartel following the death of Juárez boss Amado Carrillo Fuentes. El Mayo was the co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel alongside Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Leading the Zambada García faction of the criminal syndicate, he oversaw drug trafficking into Chicago and other US cities via container ships, boats, buses, aircraft, and other modes.
El Mayo was like a phantom to the authorities, who had no idea what he looked like, until 2001, when they found an ID with his picture during a search of one of his properties. By then, the Mexican authorities issued bounties on him and other members of the Sinaloa Cartel. Over the years, he reportedly operated in Sinaloa and Durango, with significant influence in Nuevo León, Sonora, and Quintana Roo. In 2007, even the FBI offered a $5 million reward for any information leading to his apprehension. On the professional front, he was married to Rosario Niebla Cardoza and was a father to four sons — Vicente Zambada Niebla, Ismael Zambada Imperial, Ismael Zambada Sicairos, and Serafin Zambada Ortiz — and four daughters — María Teresa, Midiam Patricia, Mónica del Rosario, and Modesta. After El Chapo’s arrest in 2016, El Mayo took the reins of the Sinaloa Cartel and earned the reputation as Mexico’s most powerful drug lord.
During his trial in Brooklyn, New York City, in November 2018, El Chapo tried to throw El Mayo under the bus, but Vicente testified against him. In the following years, many potential witnesses were silenced using violence and intimidation. Under his leadership, he also bribed many law enforcement officers and Mexican government officials to continue operating the drug trafficking operation across Mexico and the United States. According to the show, on July 25, 2024, under the ruse of solving the tension between Hector Melesio Cuen and the governor of Sinaloa, Ruben Rocha, El Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López lured El Mayo to a private plane and told him that they were traveling to northern Mexico. Instead, the plane landed in Doña Ana County International Jetport, near El Paso, Texas, where the two men were taken into custody.
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García is Currently Incarcerated at a Prison Facility
Nearly two months later, on September 13, 2024, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García attended his first hearing at a Brooklyn, New York City, federal court. He pleaded not guilty to the charges of drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons, and criminal enterprise. However, within a year, El Mayo had a change of heart. On August 25, 2025, in order to avoid the death penalty, he pleaded guilty to two out of the 17 charges against him — one count of running a continuing criminal enterprise and one count of racketeering conspiracy.
El Mayo also apologized for his actions that negatively impacted many people. He stated through a Spanish-language translator, “I recognize the great harm illegal drugs have done to the people in the United States and Mexico, and elsewhere. I take responsibility for my role in all of it and I apologize to everyone who has suffered or been affected by my actions.” He also admitted, “The organization that I headed fed corruption in my country by paying police, military commanders and politicians who allowed us to operate freely.”
Ultimately, on July 20, 2026, the drug trafficker was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay $15 billion in forfeiture for being the leader behind the Sinaloa Cartel. During the sentencing hearing, he spoke through a Spanish translator, stating that he was sorry “for the harm I caused and for the example I set.” He added, “If there’s one thing I can say that has value today, it’s this: the violence must end.” As of today, the former drug lord in his 70s is serving his life term in a high-security prison facility in the United States.
Read More: Mario Tabraue: Where is the Former Drug Dealer Now?
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