‘El Chapo’s’ son Ovidio Guzman Lopez to plead guilty in US drug trafficking case

The son of the infamous Mexican drug lord, “El Chapo,” is set to plead guilty to drug trafficking charges in the United States. Ovidio Guzman Lopez, along with his brother Joaquin Guzman Lopez, allegedly led a faction of the cartel known as the “Chapitos,” responsible for exporting fentanyl to the U.S.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez, whose father is the notorious Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, was arrested in Mexico in 2023 and extradited to the U.S. He faces charges of money laundering, drug trafficking, and firearm offenses in federal court in Chicago. While he initially pleaded not guilty, court documents indicate he is now planning to change his plea to guilty as part of a deal with prosecutors.

This upcoming plea agreement would make Ovidio Guzman Lopez the first of the brothers to enter into such a deal. Meanwhile, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, along with another Sinaloa cartel leader, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, are also in U.S. custody. Joaquin has pleaded not guilty to charges including money laundering, drug distribution, and conspiracy to distribute drugs, while Zambada has also maintained his innocence.

The arrests of these high-profile cartel leaders led to increased violence in Mexico’s Sinaloa state as rival factions within the cartel clashed. The capture of the Guzman brothers and Zambada caused a power struggle within the organization, resulting in a surge of violence in the region.

Both federal prosecutors and Ovidio Guzman Lopez’s attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, have not yet commented on the upcoming plea deal. However, the court appearance scheduled for July 9 will likely shed more light on the details of the agreement and its implications for the future of the Sinaloa cartel and its operations.