Kenia López Rabadán defends Ruffo Appel as a political prisoner

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, 76 years old and considered for decades one of the main leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, was sentenced this Monday to life in prison by a federal court in Brooklyn, New York. Judge Brian Cogan determined that the drug trafficker will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty to various crimes related to drug trafficking, money laundering and organized crime.

The crimes against Zambada

During the hearing, the judge noted that the seriousness of the crimes attributed to Zambada—including the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, as well as numerous homicides linked to the criminal organization—fully justifies the imposition of the maximum sentence provided for by US law. In addition, he ordered the confiscation of 15 billion dollars as reparation for the damages caused.

Before hearing the sentence, Zambada addressed a message in which he apologized to the victims of his actions, assumed responsibility for his crimes, and urged young people not to follow the path of organized crime. The former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel accepted the charges in 2025 as part of an agreement with the US Prosecutor’s Office, through which he avoided facing the death penalty.

Reactions and next steps

With this resolution, “El Mayo” remains in the same legal status as Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who is also serving a life sentence in the United States. However, US authorities warned that the sentence does not represent the end of their offensive against drug trafficking, but rather the beginning of new actions against members of the cartels and officials allegedly linked to these organizations.

The conviction could also intensify the differences between the governments of Mexico and the United States, due to the controversies that surrounded the capture of Zambada in July 2024. President Claudia Sheinbaum has questioned the operation carried out in Mexican territory and has requested to clarify the participation of US agencies in the transfer of the historic capo to that country.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) backed down. A sample of Mexican lettuce, tested during an import screening at the southern border, had tested positive for cyclospora. The agency is now calling it a “false positive” and notifying Taylor Farms of the correction.

The error does not modify the ongoing investigation. The FDA maintains an open investigation into the outbreak of cyclosporiasis that affects several states. Preventive measures remain in force.

Voluntary withdrawal and clarification

On Saturday, Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled all iceberg lettuce produced in Guanajuato, Mexico. The measure, which included 35 products distributed in 27 entities, responded to possible links with the reported cases. Following clarification from the FDA, the company said it completed the precautionary recall. It insisted that the authority had not identified an actual positive test in its products. The erroneous sample corresponded to a different shipment, collected in routine inspections, not to the product already recalled.

Outbreak figures

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported more than 1,600 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Researchers found that several patients had consumed food at Taco Bell restaurants that used Taylor Farms lettuce.

The FDA and CDC continue to coordinate actions with federal and state authorities. The objective: identify the origin of the outbreak and prevent new infections. The situation keeps consumers and health authorities on alert.

The dismantling of the Fan Fest

One day after the 2026 World Cup final, workers began to remove the decorations and installations of the FIFA Fan Fest in the capital’s Zócalo. For 39 days, the space brought together thousands of fans to follow the games and participate in activities related to the tournament.

On Monday morning, dismantling personnel removed cardboard figures with designs inspired by traditional Mexican toys, placed in front of the Government buildings of Mexico City. Among the first pieces removed were a pink drum and a multicolored bearing.

The CDMX Government Secretariat reported that the Fan Fest concluded on Sunday with an attendance of 110 thousand people during the broadcast of the final, played between Spain and Argentina. The Spanish team was crowned champion.

Since the start of the event, on June 11, and until its closing, nearly 2 million fans came to the Zócalo to enjoy the broadcasts of the matches, shows and cultural activities organized in the public space.

With the closure of the international competition, the removal of the infrastructure in the first square of the city began. The authorities pointed out that the Fan Fest turned the Zócalo into one of the main meeting points for soccer fans during the World Cup tournament.