The son of the infamous Mexican drug lord “El Chapo” has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in the United States, following his brother’s earlier plea deal. Referred to locally in Mexico as the “Chapitos,” Joaquín Guzmán López and his sibling, Ovidio Guzmán López, are accused of managing a branch of the Sinaloa cartel. Authorities in 2023 described their operation as a significant effort to smuggle large amounts of fentanyl into the U.S.
Joaquín Guzmán López, aged 39, confessed to two counts of drug trafficking and leading a criminal enterprise, acknowledging his involvement in overseeing the transportation of substantial drug quantities to the U.S., primarily utilizing underground tunnels. By accepting the plea agreement, he will evade a life sentence.
Security measures were stringent at the federal court in Chicago before the hearing, during which prosecutors recounted the events leading up to Guzmán López’s dramatic arrest alongside another prominent Sinaloa figure on U.S. soil in July 2024.
Guzmán López, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and matching shoes, spoke minimally during the court proceedings. When asked about his occupation by U.S. District Judge Sharon Coleman, he bluntly responded, “Drug trafficking.” Coleman replied with a light-hearted tone, acknowledging his admission.
If Guzmán López cooperates with U.S. authorities, the prosecutors have indicated a potential reduction in his life sentence. Nonetheless, he is expected to serve a minimum of 10 years in prison, according to Andrew Erskine, representing the federal government.
As part of the plea agreement, Guzmán López will not have the option to appeal his sentence. His defense lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, praised the fairness of both U.S. and Mexican officials.
“The treatment of Joaquin by the government has been equitable so far,” Lichtman stated to journalists post the court session. “I also appreciate the non-interference by the Mexican government.”
In July 2024, Guzmán López and another Sinaloa leader, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, were apprehended in Texas upon their arrival in the U.S. via a private aircraft. Both individuals had previously pleaded not guilty to a range of charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offenses. Their arrests led to escalated violence in Mexico’s Sinaloa state as rival factions within the cartel clashed.
Admitting to facilitating the production and smuggling of various drugs, Joaquín Guzmán López acknowledged his involvement in the influx of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl into the U.S., fueling a crisis responsible for numerous overdose deaths annually.
Confession of Kidnapping
Guzmán López also confessed to abducting an unidentified person believed to be Zambada. Erskine detailed the purported kidnapping in court, describing how Guzmán López orchestrated the removal of glass from a floor-to-ceiling window.
During a meeting within the room with the unnamed individual, Guzmán López reportedly allowed others to enter through the open window, seize the person, cover his head with a bag, and transport him by plane. The victim was restrained and sedated before landing at an airport in New Mexico close to the Texas border.
Erskine clarified that the alleged abduction was an independent action by Guzmán López to demonstrate cooperation with the U.S. government, which had not sanctioned it. Consequently, Guzmán López will not receive any cooperation benefits for this incident.
Zambada’s legal representative previously asserted that his client was forcibly taken onto the flight to the U.S. by Guzmán López.
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