The federal authorities in the United States revealed on Tuesday that they will not look for the death penalty against three reputed leaders of the Mexican drug cartel, including an alleged former partner of the infamous “El Chapo” and the man accused of orchestrating the murder of an agent of the drug control administration.
Judicial documents showed decisions transmitted in the trio of prosecutions, all retained in Brooklyn, NY
The cases involve drug positions and conspiracy against Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, 75, accused of directing a powerful faction of the Sinaloa poster of Mexico; Rafael Caro Quintero, 72, who supposedly a master of torture and murder of the DEA agent in 1985; and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, 62, also known as El Viceroy, who is under accusation as the former head of the Juarez cartel.
The Prosecutors of the Eastern District of New York presented a letter in each case “to inform the court and the defense that the Attorney General has authorized and ordered this office not to seek the death penalty.”
The decision occurs despite the call of President Trump use capital punishment against drug traffickers and the United States government increases pressure against Mexico to dismantle groups of organized crimes and to prevent the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs on the border.
A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
It is rare that the death penalty be at stake against high -level Mexican posters figures. Mexico has long abolished capital and typically extradited its citizens with the condition that they are saved from death.
In the case of Zambada, standard restrictions were not applied because it was not extradited. Zambada was taken to the United States in July 2024 by a son of his former associate, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Zambada alleges that he was ambushed and kidnapped in Sinaloa by Joaquín Guzmán López, who forced him to a plane to a small airport on the outskirts of El Paso.
Zambada declared himself innocent of the charges against him and remains imprisoned in Brooklyn while his case continues. A judicial presentation in June said that prosecutors and defense had “discussed the potential of a resolution without trial”, suggesting that guilt negotiations are underway.
Let's ask [that] All those who sell drugs are trapped selling drugs, to receive the death penalty for their atrocious acts
– President Trump in 2022
Frank Pérez, the lawyer who represents Zambada, issued a statement on Tuesday to the Times that said: “We appreciate the government's decision not to follow the death penalty against our client. This marks an important step to achieve a fair and fair resolution.”
The federal authorities announced in May that Guzmán López, 39, a leader accused of the faction of the Sinaloa cartel known as “Los Chapitos”, would not face the death penalty. He faces a variety of smuggling and drug conspiracy in a pending case before the Federal Court in Chicago.
Another son of El Chapo, Ovid Guzmán López, 35, declared himself guilty of drug trafficking charges, money laundering and firearms last month in Chicago. Judicial presentations show that he agreed to cooperate with US authorities in other investigations.
Caro Quintero and Carrillo Fuentes were two of the most important names among a group of 29 men delivered by Mexico to the United States in February. The transfer of unusual mass was carried out outside the typical extradition process, which left the possibility of the death penalty open.
Reputed for being a founding member of the powerful cartel of Guadalajara of Mexico in the 1980s, Caro Quintero is allegedly responsible for the brutal murder of the agent of Enrique “Kiki” Camarena 40 years ago.
The murder, portrayed in the Netflix program “Narcos: Mexico” and reported in many books and documentaries, led to a fierce response from US authorities, but Caro Quintero managed to avoid justice for decades. Taking it to the American soil was portrayed as a great victory by Trump administration officials.
Derek Maltz, the head of the DEA in February, said in a statement that Caro Quintero had “unleashed violence, destruction and death in the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades in the list of fugitives most wanted in the DEA.”
Carrillo Fuentes is perhaps better known as the younger brother of another Mexican drug dealer, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the legendary “Lord of the Skies”, who died in 1997. Once near El Chapo, May and other leaders of Cartel de Sinaloa, Carrillo Funntes de Carrillo separated to form his own poster in the city of Juárez, which cause years of Bloodel poster.
Kenneth J. Montgomery, Carrillo Fuentes's lawyer, said on Tuesday that his client was “extremely grateful” for the government's decision not to seek the death penalty. “I thought it was the right decision,” he said. “In a civilized society, I don't think the death penalty should be an option.”
Trump has been a burning supporter of capital punishment. In January, he signed an order that orders the Attorney General to take all necessary and legal measures “to ensure that states have enough lethal injection drugs to carry out executions.
The Executive Order ordered the Attorney General to follow the death penalty in cases involving the murder of law agents, among other factors. For years, Trump has requested aloud the execution of convicted drug traffickers. He reiterated the call to executions again in 2022 by announcing his intention to run again for president.
“Let's ask [for] All those who sell drugs are trapped by selling drugs, to receive the death penalty for their atrocious acts, ”Trump said.
Atty General Pam Bondi lifted a moratorium on federal executions in February, reversing a policy that began under the Biden administration. In April, Bondi announced intentions to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing a UnitedHealthcare executive in New York City.
Bonnie Klapper, former Federal Narcotics Prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York, reacted with surprise when he learned that the Trump administration had decided not to pursue capital cases against the bosses of the accused, particularly expensive Quintero.
Klapper, who is now a defense lawyer, speculated that Mexico strongly opposes the executions of its citizens and officials may have exerted diplomatic pressure to avoid the lives of the three men, perhaps offering to send more dogs in the future.
“While my initial reaction is shock given the acceptance of this administration of the death penalty, there are perhaps there are conversations behind the scene in which Mexico has said: 'If you want more of these, you cannot ask to kill any of our citizens.”
