The 76-year-old, who founded the Sinaloa Cartel with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán, apologised in court and was also ordered to pay $15bn (£11bn). Last year, Zambada reached a plea deal and admitted to drug smuggling and conspiracy charges in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. The Sinaloa Cartel has been at war with itself since Zambada was taken into custody and has wreaked mayhem across the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The question of what Zambada's punishment means to the Sinaloa cartel is unclear. There is always another ready to take over the mantle, even from so influential a crime boss as El Mayo Zambada.