Daijiworld Media Network - Chicago
Chicago, Jul 12: Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of jailed Mexican drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, pleaded guilty to serious drug charges in a Chicago court on Friday as part of a plea deal with US prosecutors that could reduce his prison sentence.
Nicknamed ‘El Raton’ (The Mouse), Guzman Lopez admitted to two counts of drug conspiracy and two counts of operating a continuing criminal enterprise. Prosecutors revealed that the 34-year-old played a major role in smuggling large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine from Mexico to the United States.
Guzman Lopez, who took control of a Sinaloa Cartel faction along with his brothers — collectively known as "Los Chapitos" — after their father’s arrest in 2016, was originally facing life imprisonment. However, under the terms of the plea agreement, he has promised to “fully and truthfully cooperate” with investigators, leading prosecutors to recommend a lesser sentence.
US District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman has not yet scheduled a sentencing date.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the cooperation of Guzman Lopez could provide critical insights into the cartel’s structure and its government and military protectors in Mexico. “He could offer very valuable information,” former DEA official Mike Vigil told AFP.
Ovidio’s guilty plea comes amid growing pressure on the Sinaloa Cartel, which has been the target of intensified US sanctions. The cartel is one of six Mexican drug groups designated as “global terrorist organizations” by former US President Donald Trump.
The case has reignited attention on “Los Chapitos.” While Ovidio is now in US custody, his brothers Ivan Archivaldo and Jesus Alfredo remain at large. A fourth brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, was arrested last year along with cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada under dramatic circumstances. Their detention reportedly sparked violent cartel infighting in Sinaloa state, leading to over 1,200 deaths and 1,400 disappearances.
Ovidio first gained public notoriety in 2019 when Mexican security forces briefly detained him, only to release him under pressure from cartel gunmen. He was recaptured in 2023 and extradited to the United States.
US Attorney Andrew Boutros said the plea marks a significant moment in the ongoing crackdown on transnational drug trafficking. “This sends a crystal-clear message — we will dismantle these organizations and bring even their top leaders to justice,” he said.