Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, a notable figure in Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, faced justice as he was sentenced to life imprisonment in the United States on Monday. Alongside this, he has been ordered to relinquish a staggering $15 billion amassed through his illicit drug trafficking operations, according to a release by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The life sentence was issued by U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan, who acknowledged the mandatory nature of the punishment due to the severity of the charges. He expressed his belief that it was a fitting sentence for the crimes Zambada committed.

Judge Cogan highlighted that the overwhelming volume of drugs linked to Zambada, alongside the numerous murders documented, was sufficient to warrant Congress’s decision to impose a mandatory life sentence. “The almost unimaginable amount of drugs attributable to him and the number of murders that we can document is enough to justify Congress’s decision to make this a mandatory life sentence,” he stated.

Zambada stands as one of the most prominent Mexican drug traffickers to face such a sentence in the U.S. since the renowned Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, another leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, received his life sentence back in 2019.

Garcia, 76, agreed to plead guilty in August 2025 to multiple charges, including racketeering conspiracy and continuing criminal enterprise, after the DOJ said it would not pursue the death penalty.

He was arrested in July 2024 alongside Joaquin Guzman Lopez, one of Guzman’s sons, after their plane landed in the U.S. Guzman Lopez has since pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including drug trafficking and a July 2024 kidnapping.

Joseph Nocella, a federal prosecutor, told reporters after Garcia’s sentencing that Guzman Lopez had admitted to kidnapping Garcia in an attempt to secure leniency and credit from U.S. law enforcement.

“The United States made perfectly clear that we do not condone kidnapping and that he would receive no credit,” Nocella said.

Guzman Lopez has not yet been sentenced.

Garcia told the court during his sentencing on Monday that he took responsibility for the harm he had caused.

“No one wins in a war like this. To the next generation, I say, choose a different path,” he said.

Cogan suggested that Garcia be placed in a facility where he would receive adequate medical care since he was suffering from several progressive health ailments.

“Ismael Zambada Garcia spent nearly four decades poisoning American communities to make billions of dollars in profit and ordering the murders of anyone who stood in his way. Today, that chapter closes for good,” Nocella said in a statement.

“He will spend the rest of his life in a U.S. prison, exactly where he belongs,” he added. This sentence was made possible by the tireless bilateral cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement, who refused to let El Mayo’s years of evading justice become a permanent state of affairs. We hope that today’s sentence brings some measure of justice to the countless victims of the Sinaloa Cartel’s narcotics trafficking and violence.”

Baker Mayfield had a significant source of motivation fueling his performance during his encounter with the Jets last season.

In the latest installment of Netflix’s docuseries “Quarterback,” the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ signal-caller delves deep into his past dealings with Steve Wilks, the former Jets defensive coordinator. Wilks, who briefly took on the role of interim head coach in Carolina, was at the helm when Mayfield faced a career setback, leading to his release in 2022.

“This is personal for me. Wilks cut me. F— him,” Mayfield boldly declared during a huddle ahead of the intense Week 3 matchup.

Mayfield shed light on the history behind their tension in an interview for “Quarterback,” stating, “[Wilks] was the defensive coordinator there, and then he was the interim head coach, which is kind of where things started to take a downward spiral in our relationship.”

“I could tell that I was not his favorite, which is fine, but the only thing you can really ask for in this business is to be upfront and honest,” Mayfield said. “When I was going to be released, or inactive first, they asked me what I wanted to do, that they would grant me my release, and I was like, ‘Listen, if you want me to ask for my release, I’ll say it, but if you’re going to cut me, just tell me that.’ … He’s ultimately the one that made that decision, that I wasn’t gonna be active.”

Mayfield led a game-winning field goal drive to beat the Jets 29-27 in that revenge game. Postgame, Mayfield referenced the iciness with Wilks.

“Also their D-coordinator was the one that cut me in Carolina. Lot of stuff was personal today. Haason Reddick, former Jet. … Lot of people,” he mused.

Wilks responded days later.

“I don’t really think an interim head coach has much authority over personnel,” Wilks told reporters. “If that’s the case, I wouldn’t have gotten rid of our best player, Christian McCaffrey.”

Mayfield, who landed with the Rams for the rest of 2022, has since revived his career, leading Tampa Bay to two playoff appearances and generating MVP talks after a 5-1 start last season.

In a move that electrified her followers, Jennifer Love Hewitt debuted a daring new hairstyle on Monday that left many fans in awe.

The star of “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” now 47, has made a striking change by swapping her signature dark locks for a vibrant light blonde, revealing her fresh look in a captivating Instagram video.

This bold hair transformation is just in time for the upcoming 10th season of “9-1-1,” where Hewitt will continue her role as the beloved dispatcher Maddie.

“Season 10 hair ready! Let’s go!” she enthusiastically captioned the post, a nod to her readiness to tackle a new era in her career. Hewitt has previously opened up about how early-career body scrutiny impacted her.

Having sported a fiery red hue in the show’s ninth season, the actress is clearly not afraid to experiment as she revamps her look for the new episodes.

Her fans were thrilled with the stunning blonde look, with one writing, ‘So beautiful!’ 

‘You can literally pull off every color,’ someone else gushed. 

‘Oh gurl I love a blonde. And this is eating,’ another added. 

‘Season 10 Maddie walking in like she’s about to solve three cases and emotionally wreck us in one episode,’ someone else quipped. 

Hewitt credited her new look to Nine Zero One salon hairstylists Nikki Lee and Taryn Houston.

The actress joined the series – created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear – in season two.

The hit show explores the lives of Los Angeles first responders – including firefighters, police officers, and paramedics – as they risk it all to save lives. 

Aside from Hewitt it currently stars Angela Bassett, Oliver Stark, Ryan Guzman, Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi, Corinne Massiah and more. 

Season 10 of the procedural drama is set to premiere in the fall. 

Her hair transformations aren’t the only aspect of her appearance that has drawn public attention over the years. 

Last year, Hewitt opened up about how body criticism in her early career had a lasting effect.

In an interview with Vulture, she revealed that she nearly passed on the opportunity to reprise her role as Julie in the new I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel due to the excessive scrutiny she faced as a younger actress.

It wasn’t until she watched the 2021 New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears that she understood the ramifications of being picked apart for her appearance.

‘When I started watching it, I was like, “Oh, they talked to me like that. Oh.” I started crying for her. And then I realized I was crying for me,’ she reflected.

Hewitt rose to prominence as a teen when she starred in the family drama Party of Five.

She went on to appear in movies including the original I Know What You Did Last Summer, Heartbreakers, and Can’t Hardly Wait.

It wasn’t long before she became a household name, making her subject to heightened judgement.

The former child star said she ‘really wanted to be a good actor’ but the focus was on her figure, which left her ‘trying to outact the conversation around my body.’

She described media coverage in the early 2000s as being ‘”Boob, boob, boob,” everywhere.’

When she was photographed wearing a bikini in Hawaii in 2007, it sparked media coverage around her weight.

At the time, Hewitt said that she wasn’t ‘upset for me, but for all the girls out there that are struggling with their body image.’

‘A size 2 is not fat! Nor will it ever be. And being a size 0 doesn’t make you beautiful,’ she declared. ‘To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini – put it on and stay strong.’

In a decisive move, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega announced that the country would cease holding elections, effectively eliminating any avenues for opposition parties to contest his and his co-governing wife, Rosario Murillo’s, rule.

Ortega, Nicaragua’s longest-serving leader, initially came to power in the 1980s and has held office since 2007. His current term is set to end in 2027.

“There will be no more elections for them to attempt to take over the government and seize control,” declared Ortega.

Ortega’s statement came on Sunday during a speech marking the anniversary of the 1979 Sandinista revolution, a historic event in which he played a pivotal role in toppling the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza.

The declaration appeared to eliminate the possibility of a future electoral challenge as Ortega and Murillo continue consolidating control over the country’s political institutions.

“The days when parties backed by the Yankees (United States) and the Somocistas would return to power are over — never again,” Ortega declared.

News Media has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.

The Trump administration has described the Ortega-Murillo government as a dictatorship and imposed sanctions on members of the government and their allies. The State Department has also enacted visa restrictions targeting more than 2,350 Nicaraguan officials and their family members.

“The United States stands with the Nicaraguan people who, like Rivera, aspire to see a free Nicaragua,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in June.

The Biden administration previously said Ortega illegitimately awarded himself another term following Nicaragua’s disputed 2021 presidential election.

Authorities arrested presidential candidates, opposition figures, business leaders and journalists ahead of that vote as the government intensified its criminalization of dissent.

Ortega and Murillo further expanded their authority through sweeping constitutional changes that took effect in 2025. The reforms extended the presidential term from five years to six and elevated Murillo from vice president to “co-president.”

The changes also placed Nicaragua’s legislative, judicial and electoral institutions under the authority of the presidency, according to United Nations experts.

Ortega and Murillo now exercise control over nearly every branch of the government, including the armed forces, police and judiciary.

Ortega had already effectively eliminated meaningful electoral competition during elections in 2011, 2016 and 2021, Salvador Marenco, coordinator of the Costa Rica-based Nicaragua Nunca Más Human Rights Collective, told Reuters.

Many prominent opposition leaders have been imprisoned, forced into exile or stripped of their Nicaraguan citizenship, while opposition parties and independent civic organizations have lost their legal status.

A United Nations group of experts has accused the Ortega-Murillo government of systematically violating human rights as part of a campaign to eliminate criticism and preserve its hold on power. The experts said some alleged violations may amount to crimes against humanity.

The government launched a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018. More than 300 people were killed during the unrest, according to international human rights groups.

As Americans pack their bags for international journeys, there’s one crucial item they must ensure is left behind: cannabis, which could result in considerable fines or, in severe cases, imprisonment.

U.S. authorities are cautioning travelers that transporting cannabis products across international borders can have serious legal repercussions. This advisory comes in light of Thailand’s recent adoption of stricter customs regulations aimed at curbing violations.

In June 2026, Thailand enacted rigorous laws that significantly penalize anyone caught carrying cannabis into the country.

Those who break the law could face up to a decade behind bars, be slapped with fines reaching 500,000 Thai baht (approximately $15,000), or endure both penalties, according to insights from the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Thailand.

Fox News Digital has sought comments from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) regarding these revised restrictions.

Although Thailand decriminalized cannabis possession in 2022, importing or exporting cannabis without the proper permissions remains illegal, the warning said.

Jeffrey Hoffman, a New York-based cannabis attorney, said travelers should never assume that laws at home apply once they cross an international border.

“While we are seeing cannabis laws relaxed in countries like Canada and in various states in the U.S., cannabis is still generally illegal across the overwhelming majority of the planet,” Hoffman told Fox News Digital. “When you travel to a different jurisdiction, you become subject to its laws.”

Hoffman, a legalization activist, pointed to the high-profile case of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was imprisoned in Russia after authorities found cannabis oil in her luggage, as a reminder that some countries strictly enforce drug laws.

“There is no safe harbor when traveling internationally,” he said. “Even a mistake is no excuse.”

Travel expert and former flight attendant Bobby Laurie, based in the D.C. area, said many travelers mistakenly assume that if something is legal at home, it’s automatically legal everywhere they go.

“Even if you’re carrying a cannabis product for personal use or have a medical prescription, that doesn’t guarantee it [will] be allowed at your destination,” Laurie told Fox News Digital. “Some countries have extremely strict drug laws, and the penalties can be severe.”

Laurie recommended checking local laws before every trip, plus emptying backpacks, purses and carry-ons of forgotten items. He said people should never assume customs officials will overlook a mistake.

Some countries have laws governing everyday items that many travelers would never expect, Laurie noted — pointing to Singapore’s restrictions on chewing gum as a reminder to research destination-specific rules before packing.

“This is one of those things you wouldn’t know unless you researched it, and how many of us walk around with that in our bags?” he said.

Fox News Digital previously reported that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently updated its guidance for travelers carrying medical marijuana on domestic flights.

While the agency permits certain medical cannabis products under limited circumstances, experts emphasized that international travel is a different matter.

Crossing international borders with cannabis remains subject to the laws of the destination country, regardless of whether marijuana is legal where a traveler lives.

The TSA also notes that while its officers are focused on security screening, they may refer suspected violations of law to local law enforcement.

Khloe Quill of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

A woman from Tennessee, who endured an unsettling encounter involving a local school board member, has publicly shared her story of distress for the first time. The incident unfolded when the official made an inappropriate comment about her appearance during a public board meeting.

Hannah Campbell was at the Washington County School Board gathering on April 2, aiming to present her findings on the district’s education system. However, her intentions were disrupted when board member Keith Ervin encircled her with his arm and delivered a disrespectful remark.

“God, you’re hot, you know that? Where do you go to school at?” the middle-aged Ervin inappropriately quipped to the teenager.

Within a month, Ervin found himself facing charges of assault, specifically relating to physical contact, as a consequence of his cringe-worthy comment.

Reflecting on the incident, Campbell expressed her belief that “no one should be subjected to such treatment in any context—especially in a place where one expects to feel secure, like a professional environment.”

‘And that just makes me feel like more people should understand that some mistakes can’t afford to be made, especially seeing the reputation not only Washington County has gotten after that, but Tennessee as a whole,’ she told WJHL.

‘And I just don’t think that that’s fair because we have so many amazing students doing amazing things, and it’s getting overlooked because of one incident,’ added Campbell, who graduated from high school in the spring.

But at the same time, Campbell said she doesn’t want to ‘minimize’ the incident either, ‘because it was awful.’

In the aftermath, the local community rallied around Campbell and her family, her mother, April said, describing how she started receiving messages of support from people she didn’t even know.

‘And so the community support is what really got the whole movement started,’ she claimed. ‘It wasn’t us. The community did that. The other people did that. We didn’t start that. They did. They got it rolling. We had very little that we even had to do. We just showed up at a couple meetings to meet some people and they did it.

‘It was amazing because we were dealing with a different emotional roller coaster and they took the reins to be like “We will push for this change and get it started.”‘  

Some parents then demanded Ervin resign or otherwise be forcibly removed from the board as school officials said his conduct was under review.

He was ultimately censured for his behavior but was allowed to retain his seat  despite public outcry and a letter from David Crockett High School students expressing their discomfort with him.

For Campbell, that slap on the wrist was a wholly inadequate measure, and she gave the board a piece of her mind on May 7. 

‘Gaining global attention for sexual comments and assault is not the reputation that Washington County deserves,’ she said, referencing the widespread media attention Ervin’s actions received. 

‘Everyone on this board shares that blame, as does every voter who put you into office,’ she continued. ‘I believe that you are all cowards.’

The teenager went on to call Ervin’s actions ‘unwelcome,’ ‘sexist’ and ‘derogatory,’ and she said that the board’s ‘failure to act… was and is equivalent to his actions, and it has hurt me just as much.’

She also called out a religious argument used by several board members to justify their soft-touched discipline of Ervin and blasted ‘those who used their god as a cop-out for forgiveness.’

‘I do not forgive you, and I do not accept your fake apologies used to protect yourselves,’ the teenager continued. 

Campbell now admits she ‘was a little nervous’ before she went up to the podium that night, ‘but after I saw the impact that it made, it was so beyond worth it.’

She now hopes people are more aware of what is said behind closed doors and who they are electing to represent them, ‘and not just voting for them because they’re your friend or because you know them around town.’

At the same time, the high school graduate is encouraging other students to get involved and make their voices heard. 

‘Age should have no influence on… how much your opinion matters,’ Campbell asserted. 

Ervin has previously defended himself by saying that his statement was misconstrued and previously told NBC News: ‘When I mentioned she was hot, I meant she was on a roll. It was nothing to do with her appearance.’

In April, Washington County Board of Education Chair Annette Buchanan released a public statement that said, ‘Mr Ervin has explained that he meant nothing offensive and that we have simply misunderstood his intentions.’

She also said, however, that ‘Mr Ervin knows his own intentions, but the rest of us have to judge his words and his actions,’ which she called ‘shocking’ and ‘grossly inappropriate.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to Ervin for comment.