'El Mayo' Zambada sentenced to life in prison in US

Federico 'El Mayo' Zambada, a prominent Mexican drug trafficker, has been sentenced to life in prison by a federal judge in New York. The sentence follows his earlier plea of guilt and an expressed desire to avoid the isolation conditions faced by Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán.

Appearing before Judge Brian Cogan in Brooklyn, the 76-year-old Zambada, visibly frail, also faced an order for the forfeiture of $15 billion in assets, as requested by the prosecution. Given his advanced age and health status, it was acknowledged that Zambada would likely spend the remainder of his life incarcerated, even without the life sentence.

Zambada's defense team had focused on securing a transfer to a medical prison, proposing specific facilities to the court. While the prosecution disagreed, arguing Zambada still had "loyalists" outside prison and should potentially be sent to the same high-security facility as 'El Chapo' Guzmán, Judge Cogan ultimately declined to make an official recommendation on his placement but urged that his health be taken into account.

During the sentencing hearing, Zambada read a letter of apology, acknowledging the harm caused by his leadership of the cartel and urging future generations to choose a different path. "I'm sorry... No one wins in these kinds of wars," he stated, adding, "What I did was wrong, there is no justification."