El Chapo’s Son Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Charges
CHICAGO — Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of infamous Mexican drug lord El Chapo, admitted guilt on Monday to drug trafficking charges in the U.S. This comes months after his brother entered a plea deal.
Commonly referred to in Mexico as “Chapitos” or “Little Chapo,” Joaquín and his brother Ovidio Guzmán López stand accused of leading a faction of the Sinaloa cartel. Authorities described their operations in 2023 as a massive initiative responsible for bringing significant quantities of fentanyl into the United States.
During his plea, Joaquín Guzmán López acknowledged his involvement in two counts of drug trafficking and running a continuing criminal enterprise.
In July 2024, he and another prominent Sinaloa figure, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, were captured in Texas after arriving on a private jet. Initially, both had pleaded not guilty to numerous charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offenses. Their capture marked a spike in violence in Sinaloa, as rival factions of the cartel clashed.
As part of his plea deal, Joaquín admitted to overseeing the production and smuggling of vast quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl into the U.S. This activity has been linked to a surge in overdose deaths, totaling tens of thousands annually.
His attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, expressed appreciation for both U.S. and Mexican officials, stating, “The government has been very fair to Joaquín so far.” He also noted, “We are grateful that the Mexican government did not intervene.”
Earlier, in July, Ovidio Guzmán López, the eldest son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, reached a similar plea agreement. He admitted to charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offenses connected to his leadership role in the cartel. Legal experts have indicated that these developments are crucial for U.S. efforts to investigate and prosecute Sinaloa cartel leaders.
Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former Sinaloa Cartel leader, is currently serving a life sentence after his 2019 conviction for smuggling large volumes of cocaine and other drugs into the U.S. It appears that the brothers have stepped into roles once held by their father in the cartel hierarchy.
