Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Mayo's Son, 'El Mayito Gordo,' Opt to Stay in California Instead of Mexico After Prison Release

Ismael Zambada Imperial, also known as "El Mayito Gordo," son of Sinaloa cartel boss Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, was recently released from a California prison after serving a nine-year sentence.

Instead of asserting his right to be repatriated to Mexico, El Mayito Gordo agreed to stay in California, where he remains on parole and subject to the instructions of parole authorities for three years, according to Borderland Beat.

U.S. Marshals sources said El Mayo's son is at a Southern California address that only officials from the state probation office know.

The U.S. Marshals, some members of his family, and the lawyers who represent him also know his current location.

It was still unclear if, at some point, El Mayito Gordo would change his mind about serving his three-year probation sentence in the U.S. and assert his right as a Mexican and be repatriated to Mexico.

According to Riodoce, the release of El Mayo's son has prompted a series of rumors regarding his next whereabouts, with some videos even spreading of alleged parties celebrating his return to Mexico.

Reports said El Mayito Gordo left the San Diego Metropolitan Detention Center, a medium-security prison in California, on July 21.

Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Mayo's Son 'El Mayito Gordo' Pleads Guilty

Ismael Zambada Imperial was imprisoned in Mexico on gun charges before he was extradited to San Diego in December 2019.

The indictment against El Mayo's son alleged that he conspired to transport drugs and laundered and transferred drug proceeds to Mexico "for the benefit of members of the Sinaloa Cartel and their associates."

In April last year, he agreed to plead guilty. In his plea agreement, El Mayito Gordo admitted to being one of the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and importing and distributing tons of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana from Mexico into the U.S.

El Mayo's son admitted to having exported at least 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90 kilograms of heroin. He also admitted to ordering acts of violence for the benefit of the Sinaloa Cartel business. El Mayito Gordo also agreed to forfeit $5 million.

Last June, Judge Danna Sabraw of the federal court of the Southern District of California in San Diego sentenced El Mayo's son to 108 months in prison.

The judge believed that the sentence was already sufficient. El Mayito Gordo was reportedly credited with the years served since his capture in November 2014.

Release of Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Mayo's Son 'Conditional'

Ismael Zambada Imperial's release came with several conditions. El Mayo's son was on a three-year supervised release.

According to the sentencing document, El Mayito Gordo must comply with a series of guidelines as soon as he is released from prison. It includes the standard supervision for a defendant of his level.

Once released, he has 72 hours to report to the appropriate parole offices, who will give him instructions. Among his restrictions include the fact that he can only live in an approved location and must always report to the officer supervising him when he leaves the area.

El Mayito Gordo was prohibited from possessing or using illegal drugs, firearms, or any destructive object. He also needs to provide his DNA.

He was also prohibited from making any arrangement with a law enforcement agency to act as a confidential source or informant without first obtaining permission from the court.

El Mayo's son must also look for a stable and legal job. He must work at least 30 hours a week in a job that the Parole Department will also supervise.

He was also prohibited from communicating with someone involved in illegal activities like his father or brothers. According to reports, two of El Mayo's other sons have also been convicted in the U.S.

Vicente Zambada Niebla, who was prosecuted in Chicago, has testified against another Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, during his New York trial. He was sentenced in 2019 to 15 years in prison but is now free.

His younger brother Serafin Zambada Ortiz was also charged in San Diego, but he has already completed his five and a half years prison sentence.

Last April, Ortiz got involved in a fatal car accident in Sonora, Mexico. His girlfriend died during the crash.

Their father has never been imprisoned. El Mayo has been wanted in Mexico since 1998. The U.S. State Department has already increased its offer from $5 million to $15 million for information that will result in the arrest of the Sinaloa Cartel boss.

El Mayo and El Chapo were among the people who established the Sinaloa Cartel. After El Chapo was arrested and extradited to the U.S., El Mayo and El Chapo's four sons, known as "Los Chapitos," were reportedly left in command of one of Mexico's largest and most powerful drug trafficking organizations.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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