‘El Chapo’s Son Set to Plead Guilty in U.S. Drug Trafficking Case’

CHICAGO — Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of infamous Mexican drug lord “El Chapo,” is planning to plead guilty to drug trafficking charges in a U.S. court. This information is based on court documents submitted on Tuesday.

Prosecutors contend that Ovidio and his brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, led a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel known as the “Chapitos,” responsible for the distribution of fentanyl into the United States. Their father, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, was the notorious leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, overseeing the smuggling of large quantities of cocaine and other drugs into the U.S. for more than 25 years.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez was apprehended in Mexico earlier this year and subsequently extradited to the United States. He faces multiple charges, including money laundering, drug offenses, and firearm violations, in a federal court in Chicago.

Initially pleading not guilty, he is scheduled for a court appearance on July 9 to change his plea, potentially in exchange for a deal with prosecutors. Reports suggest he is likely to plead guilty following discussions about a possible agreement raised during an October hearing.

Should he proceed with the plea deal, Ovidio would be the first of the Guzman brothers to take this step. Joaquin Guzman Lopez is also currently in U.S. custody, facing similar charges alongside Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, another significant leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, who was arrested in July in Texas after arriving on a private plane.

Both brothers have pleaded not guilty to their charges. The recent arrests of these cartel leaders have triggered an increase in violence in Mexico’s Sinaloa state, as rival factions within the cartel engage in brutal conflicts.

As of now, neither federal prosecutors nor Ovidio Guzman Lopez’s attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, have commented on the ongoing situation.