El Mayo Sentencing Postponed Again — EDNY Hearing Rescheduled to May 18, 2026

The Eastern District of New York (EDNY) sentencing of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada García before Judge Brian Cogan was postponed on April 10, 2026 — for the second time — from April 13 to May 18, 2026. Defense attorney Frank Pérez successfully argued that ongoing cartel violence in Sinaloa made it impossible to safely locate witnesses, gather documentation, and prepare necessary court materials. Pérez cited the killing of five Escuinapa municipal police officers in nine days as evidence that conditions remain too dangerous for safe witness contact in Sinaloa. The US prosecution filed no objection to the postponement. El Mayo pleaded guilty in August 2025 to co-founding and leading the Sinaloa Cartel (continuing criminal enterprise/RICO) and faces mandatory life imprisonment plus a $15 billion forfeiture judgment — which would be the largest criminal forfeiture in US history. The sentencing had previously been postponed once from an original January 2026 date to April 13. Pérez confirmed there is no cooperation agreement. May 18, 2026 is now the third scheduled date for the historic hearing before Judge Cogan in Brooklyn.