Top Cartel Leader 'El Mayo' Zambada Pleads Not Guilty to U.S. Drug Charges

Alleged Mexican kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada has pleaded not guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges after his arrest in El Paso, Texas. He waived his right to appear in court and will be arraigned next Wednesday. Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, was apprehended alongside Joaquin Guzman Lopez.

Alleged Mexican kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada has entered a not guilty plea to U.S. drug trafficking charges, according to court records revealed on Friday. Zambada, who was arrested along with Joaquin Guzman Lopez in El Paso, Texas, waived his right to appear personally in court and instructed that a not guilty plea be filed on his behalf.

He has been ordered to be held without bond and is set for arraignment by U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne Berton next Wednesday. His legal representative has yet to comment publicly on the charges. Both Zambada and Lopez, the son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, are accused of orchestrating the smuggling of large quantities of fentanyl and other narcotics into the United States.

The arrests represent a significant milestone for U.S. law enforcement and have the potential to disrupt the dynamics within Mexico's drug trade. Despite U.S. officials notifying the Mexican government of the detentions, Mexican authorities did not participate in the operation, clarified Mexican Security Minister Rosa Rodriguez in a briefing on Friday.

(With inputs from agencies.)