Trial date for Mexican cartel lieutenant delayed

A federal judge in Chicago has delayed trial by several months for an admitted lieutenant in one of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels.

Judge Ruben Castillo told a Wednesday hearing that Vicente Zambada’s trafficking trial will now start on Oct. 9.

The 36-year-old’s trial was supposed to start next month. But Castillo says the case’s complexity and international nature makes that unattainable. He added he’s still “knee deep” reading through classified documents in the case.

The trial promises a glimpse into the sordid world of the Sinaloa cartel. It’s run by Zambada’s father, Ismael Zambada, and Mexico’s most wanted man, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Zambada listened to Wednesday’s hearing via closed-circuit TV from a lockup. Marshals recently installed metal detectors outside Castillo’s courtroom to boost security.