In a significant development for US authorities, a son of the notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges.
The Guilty Plea in Chicago Court
Joaquín Guzmán López, aged 39, entered his guilty plea on Monday at a federal court in Chicago. He admitted to two counts: drug trafficking and running a continuing criminal enterprise. The plea follows a similar deal struck by his brother, Ovidio Guzmán López, earlier this year.
Known collectively in Mexico as the "little Chapos," the brothers are accused of managing a faction of the powerful Sinaloa cartel. Prosecutors detailed that Guzmán López oversaw the transportation of staggering quantities of narcotics—amounting to tens of thousands of kilograms—into the United States. Much of this smuggling was allegedly conducted via underground tunnels.
Details of the Crimes and Arrest
The court heard that the defendant's criminal activities were part of a massive operation, labelled by federal authorities in 2023, which funnelled huge amounts of fentanyl and other drugs into the US. This trade has fuelled a public health crisis, contributing to tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually.
Guzmán López was arrested in a dramatic operation in July 2024. He and another long-time Sinaloa cartel leader, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, were taken into custody in Texas after arriving on a private plane. Their arrest triggered a surge of violence in Mexico's Sinaloa state as cartel factions clashed.
During Monday's hearing, when asked by District Judge Sharon Coleman what his job was, Guzmán López, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, replied plainly: "drug trafficking."
Terms of the Plea Deal and Sentencing
As part of the agreement, Guzmán López has waived his right to appeal his sentence. Federal prosecutor Andrew Erskine stated that while the defendant could avoid a life sentence by cooperating, he would still face a minimum of 10 years in prison. His defence attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, acknowledged the fairness of the government's approach so far.
In a surprising twist, the plea deal included an admission from Guzmán López that he kidnapped an unnamed individual believed to be Ismael Zambada. Prosecutors described a scenario where the victim was seized during a meeting, sedated, and flown to a New Mexico airport. Erskine argued this was an unsanctioned attempt to gain favour with US authorities and would not earn him any cooperation credit.
The guilty plea marks another step in the US government's protracted campaign to dismantle the Sinaloa cartel's leadership. Their father, El Chapo, is currently serving a life sentence in a US prison after his 2019 conviction.
