The Mexican drug lord who founded the Sinaloa cartel with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is in plea talks with federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York, to resolve his case before a trial that could yield the death penalty, an assistant United States attorney said during a hearing Wednesday.

The alleged cofounder of the Sinaloa Cartel, in U.S. custody since his arrival in July, could strike a deal to avoid the death penalty.

Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, could face the death penalty in the United States after being charged with 17 counts, including drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit murder,