A son of the infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is poised to reverse his not guilty plea in a significant United States narcotics prosecution. The move comes months after his own brother struck a deal with American authorities.
Court Hearing Signals Major Shift
Joaquin Guzman Lopez was due to appear in a Chicago federal court on Monday, 1st December 2025, for what was initially listed as a routine status hearing. However, a court filing revealed the proceeding had been redesignated as a change-of-plea hearing. The document did not specify whether he would plead guilty. His attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, did not immediately provide comment on the development.
Guzman Lopez and his brother, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, are known collectively as the 'Chapitos' or 'little Chapos'. US federal authorities allege they oversaw a faction of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel. In 2023, prosecutors described their operation as a massive conspiracy to funnel 'staggering' quantities of fentanyl into the United States.
A Dramatic Arrest and Cartel Violence
Joaquin Guzman Lopez was arrested alongside veteran Sinaloa leader Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada in July 2024 in Texas. The pair had arrived in the US on a private aircraft. Both initially entered not guilty pleas to a litany of charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offences.
Their capture triggered a surge of violence in Mexico's northern Sinaloa state, as rival factions within the cartel clashed for control. The incident underscored the ongoing power struggles within the organisation following the imprisonment of its former leader.
Following in a Brother's Footsteps
This potential plea change follows the path taken by his brother, Ovidio Guzman Lopez. Earlier in 2025, Ovidio became the first of El Chapo's sons to enter a guilty plea in a US court. He admitted to charges related to his leadership role in the cartel, confessing to overseeing the production and smuggling of vast quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl into the US.
Legal experts viewed Ovidio's plea deal as a substantial victory for the US government in its protracted campaign to dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel's leadership. Their father, Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, is currently serving a life sentence in a US prison after his 2019 conviction for leading a multibillion-dollar drug smuggling empire over a quarter of a century.
The brothers are accused of stepping into the power vacuum left by their father's incarceration, allegedly assuming command of his former criminal enterprise. The outcome of Joaquin Guzman Lopez's hearing could have significant implications for ongoing investigations and the broader fight against cross-border narcotics trafficking.
