Joaquin Guzman Lopez, one of the sons of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, is set to plead guilty next week in a U.S. federal court to narcotics trafficking charges, according to court documents released Friday.
Guzman Lopez, one of four sons collectively known as “Los Chapitos” (Little Chapos), was arrested in Texas in July 2024 and initially pleaded not guilty. His plea change is scheduled for Monday at 1:30 p.m. (19:30 GMT) in the U.S. District Court in Chicago.
The move follows a similar development last year when his brother, Ovidio Guzman, pleaded guilty as part of a deal that reduced his potential sentence.
Ovidio admitted that he and his brothers took over their father’s Sinaloa cartel operations following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016.
Mexican broadcaster MVS Noticias described Guzman Lopez’s pending guilty plea as potentially marking “a new chapter in the history of drug trafficking,” highlighting speculation about ongoing negotiations with U.S. authorities.
ABC 7 Chicago reported that federal prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for Guzman Lopez, and discussions of a plea agreement are underway.
Guzman Lopez was apprehended alongside Ismael “Mayo” Zambada, cofounder of the Sinaloa cartel, who later claimed he was misled and forcibly taken to the U.S. The arrest triggered a violent feud within the cartel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and 1,400 disappearances in Mexico.
The Sinaloa cartel is accused of trafficking fentanyl into the United States, contributing to tens of thousands of overdose deaths. It is one of six Mexican drug organizations designated as global terrorist entities by the U.S. government.
Additional sanctions were imposed on the two remaining fugitive “Los Chapitos” brothers, Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, with rewards for their capture now set at $10 million each.
El Chapo, 68, is serving a life sentence in a Colorado supermax prison following his 2019 conviction. Guzman Lopez’s forthcoming court appearance signals a new phase in the U.S. crackdown on the cartel’s leadership.
Source: Al Jazeera
Written By Rodney Mbua
