Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday said she would ask the United States to share the $15 billion it expects to extract from convicted Mexican drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada with her country's poor.

Sinaloa drug cartel co-founder Zambada pleaded guilty in a New York court on Monday to murder and drug trafficking, particularly of fentanyl -- a powerful narcotic responsible for tens of thousands of US overdose deaths annually.

In pleading guilty, the 77-year-old avoided the possibility of the death penalty but still faces life imprisonment at a sentencing hearing due at a later date.

As part of the deal, Zambada, who had initially pleaded not guilty, agreed to forfeit $15 billion in ill-gotten gains.

Addressing her regular morning press conference, Sheinbaum said:

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