Sinaloa cartel co-founder 'El Mayo' pleads not guilty in NY court

The co-founder of the deadly Mexican Sinaloa cartel, Ismael Zambada, appeared in court in Brooklyn Friday, pleading not guilty to a raft of charges following his arrest in a dramatic sting by US agents.

Zambada, 76, cut a frail figure as he appeared in the federal courthouse in prison uniform, needing assistance to get out of his chair, answering judge James Cho's questions tersely.

In New York Zambada, who has also faced charges in Texas, has been charged with 17 crimes including conspiracy to manufacture and internationally distribute drugs such as cocaine and fentanyl, for which he faces life imprisonment.

His next court appearance will be October 31.

US Attorney Francisco Navarro's office opposed any bail for Zambada, telling the court he poses "an extreme danger" to society and was a flight risk.

"The government is seeking a permanent order of detention," prosecutors said.

"Until his arrest on July 25, 2024, the defendant was one of the most -- if not the most -- powerful wanted narcotics Kingpins in the world."

In Texas he pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder.

"El Mayo joins the many other Sinaloa Cartel leaders who have faced charges in an American courtroom for the immeasurable harm they have inflicted on families and communities across our country," said US Attorney General Merrick Garland.

- 'Assassinations, kidnappings, torture' -

Zambada co-founded the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in the 1990s, sitting "atop the narcotrafficking world for decades through extreme and prolonged violence and rampant corruption of public officials," according to prosecutors.

He escaped capture for much of his life despite a US bounty on his head of $15 million.

Then, seemingly out of the blue, Zambada was detained on July 25 with El Chapo's son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, after they landed in the United States on a private plane.

"I was ambushed," Zambada, 76, said in a statement released through his lawyer that he said aimed at clearing up the rumors and misinformation surrounding his capture.

Zambada's lawyer and the US ambassador to Mexico have both previously said that he was taken against his will.

Spiraling criminal violence, much of it linked to drug trafficking and gangs, has seen more than 450,000 people murdered in Mexico since 2006.

"Assassinations, kidnappings, torture, extortion, and bribery were the tools of the trade for the defendant," prosecutors added.

Mexico's National Guard was this week deployed in the state of Sinaloa, in the northwest of the country, amid an escalation of violence authorities attributed to internal struggles within the Sinaloa cartel following Zambada's capture.