Who is the son-in-law of “El Mayo” Zambada who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in the US?
Juan Carlos Félix Gastélum, alias "El Chavo Félix", faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and could receive up to life in prison
Juan Carlos Félix Gastélum, alias “El Chavo Félix,” identified as the son-in-law of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and an alleged member of the Los Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, pleaded guilty in federal court in San Diego to four charges related to drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering.
The guilty plea was entered before federal Judge Cynthia Bashant, who set the sentencing hearing for March 2027.
Under the court agreement, Félix Gastélum faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and could receive life in prison for each of three counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl. In addition, the crime of conspiracy to launder money carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
According to court documents, the defendant admitted to having run a drug trafficking organization linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and acknowledged that he was one of the main operators of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in the mountainous region of Sinaloa and Durango.
He also accepted that he coordinated the transportation and distribution of large quantities of drugs to the United States and participated in operations to conceal profits obtained from drug trafficking through money laundering schemes.
The federal accusation against him was originally filed in September 2022. However, Félix Gastélum remained a fugitive until his capture in Culiacán, Sinaloa, on January 18, 2025. Months later, in August of that same year, he was transferred to the United States along with other alleged leaders of organized crime as part of a coordinated operation between both countries.
Known as “El Chavo Félix”, the accused is married to Teresa Zambada Ortiz, daughter of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a family link that, according to US authorities, made him a trusted operator within the Los Mayo structure.
Investigations by the US Attorney's Office point to him as responsible for supervising the production and distribution of methamphetamine, as well as coordinating financial operations for the criminal organization.
The case represents one of the most relevant processes against high-level members of the structure linked to “El Mayo” Zambada, in the midst of the judicial offensive undertaken by the US authorities against operators of the Sinaloa Cartel.