CHICAGO (BN24) — A son of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán pleaded guilty Friday to sweeping drug trafficking charges in the United States, marking the first time one of the former kingpin’s sons has entered a plea deal with American prosecutors.
Ovidio Guzmán López admitted in federal court to helping run a faction of the Sinaloa cartel responsible for producing and smuggling massive quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and fentanyl into the U.S., fueling an epidemic that has killed tens of thousands of Americans annually.
Federal prosecutors have described the group led by Guzmán López and his brother, Joaquín Guzmán López, as a powerful network known as the “Chapitos,” or “little Chapos,” who oversaw what authorities called a “staggering” flow of fentanyl across the border.
Ovidio Guzmán López pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms charges connected to his leadership role in the cartel. Terms of the agreement, including sentencing recommendations or the full scope of his cooperation, were not immediately disclosed in court.
Speculation about a plea deal had been building for months, as behind-the-scenes negotiations progressed.
His sentencing has been postponed while he cooperates with U.S. authorities. Whether he avoids a life sentence will ultimately depend on whether prosecutors conclude that he has fully honored the agreement.
Jeffrey Lichtman, an attorney for Guzmán López and his brother, said Friday he would reserve judgment on whether the plea was a good deal until sentencing takes place.
“He’s agreed to cooperate,” Lichtman said. “We’ll see what that means going forward.”
Asked about the possibility of a plea deal for Joaquín Guzmán López, Lichtman noted that the cases are distinct.
“Remember, Joaquín was arrested in America well after Ovidio was, so it takes time,” he said.
Legal experts said the plea could deliver a significant blow to the cartel.
Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Law School and a former federal prosecutor, said Guzmán López’s cooperation could provide a rare insider’s perspective.
“This is big,” Levenson said. “The best way for them to take out the cartel is to find out about its operations from an insider, and that’s what they get from his cooperation.”
She added that by admitting guilt, Guzmán López may also have sought to shield relatives from prosecution.
“In this way, he has some control over who he’s cooperating against and what the world will know about that cooperation,” she said.
In Mexico City, President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized what she called a “lack of coherence” in U.S. policy toward Mexican cartels, pointing to the contradiction between labeling cartels as foreign terrorist organizations while also reaching plea deals with their leaders.
Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who built the Sinaloa cartel into a multibillion-dollar trafficking empire, was convicted in New York in 2019 and is serving a life sentence.
After El Chapo’s conviction, his sons allegedly stepped into more prominent leadership roles.
Ovidio Guzmán López was arrested by Mexican forces in 2023 and extradited to the United States. He initially pleaded not guilty but in recent months signaled his intent to change his plea.
His brother Joaquín Guzmán López and longtime cartel figure Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada were captured last year after landing a private plane in Texas. Both men have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges. Their arrest set off a wave of violence in Sinaloa as rival factions of the cartel battled for control.
Ovidio Guzmán López will remain in custody as he awaits sentencing.
