Son of ‘El Chapo’ Admits to U.S. Drug Trafficking Charges
CHICAGO (AP) — Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, confessed to U.S. drug trafficking offenses on Monday. This admission came months after his brother’s similar legal maneuver.
Locally referred to in Mexico as the “Chapitos”, Joaquín and his brother Ovidio Guzmán López have been accused of managing a segment of the Sinaloa cartel. In 2023, federal officials described their operations as a vast initiative to distribute massive amounts of fentanyl in the U.S.
Joaquín, aged 39, entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking and continuing criminal enterprise charges, acknowledging his role in directing the transportation of vast drug quantities to the U.S., predominantly using underground tunnels. His lawyer indicated that the plea deal might spare him from a life sentence.
Security was heightened at the federal courthouse in Chicago before the hearing, where prosecutors recounted the circumstances leading to Guzmán López’s dramatic apprehension alongside another Sinaloa leader on U.S. soil in July 2024.
During the court session, Guzmán López, dressed in an orange jumpsuit with matching shoes, spoke minimally. When asked by U.S. District Judge Sharon Coleman about his occupation, he replied, “Drug trafficking.”
Coleman humorously noted, “Oh that’s your job… There you go.”
Prosecutors stated that, should Guzmán López cooperate with U.S. authorities, they might consider reducing the life sentence tied to his charges. Nevertheless, he faces a minimum of 10 years in prison, according to Andrew Erskine, representing the federal government.
Under the plea agreement, Guzmán López waived any opportunity to appeal his sentence. His defense attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, praised both U.S. and Mexican authorities for their conduct. “The government has been very fair with Joaquín thus far,” Lichtman commented post-hearing, appreciating the Mexican government’s non-interference.
Joaquín and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, another long-standing Sinaloa leader, were apprehended in July 2024 in Texas after arriving in the U.S. on a private aircraft. Both had previously denied various charges related to drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms. Their unexpected capture led to an increase in violence in Mexico’s northern Sinaloa state as cartel factions clashed.
As part of his plea, Guzmán López acknowledged his involvement in producing and smuggling significant amounts of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl into the U.S., exacerbating the opioid crisis responsible for numerous overdose fatalities annually.
Guzmán López also acknowledged the kidnapping of an unnamed individual, purportedly Zambada. Erskine recounted the alleged abduction in court, detailing how Guzmán López allegedly orchestrated the removal of a window pane during a meeting, allowing others to capture the individual, cover his head, and transport him to a plane. Onboard, the person was restrained and sedated until the plane landed at a New Mexico airport near Texas.
Erskine clarified that the kidnapping was an attempt to demonstrate cooperation with the U.S., though it was unsanctioned by authorities and wouldn’t earn Guzmán López any cooperation credit.
Zambada’s legal representative had previously asserted that Guzmán López forced his client onto the flight to the U.S.
Lichtman expressed intentions to seek a reduced sentence. “I don’t know how this ends up,” he remarked, acknowledging that even a 10-year sentence is significant prison time.
During the court proceedings, attendees were instructed to disable electronic devices while police dogs inspected bags and equipment in the courthouse lobby.
In July, Ovidio Guzmán López became the first son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán to enter a plea deal, admitting to charges related to drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms. Legal experts regarded this plea as a critical development in the U.S. government’s pursuit of Sinaloa cartel leaders.
Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is serving a life sentence following his 2019 conviction for leading the Sinaloa cartel in smuggling massive drug quantities into the U.S. His sons are accused of inheriting his leadership mantle within the cartel.
