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Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of infamous Mexican narco Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, pleaded guilty on Friday in a Chicago federal court to four serious charges linked to the Sinaloa Cartel’s massive drug-trafficking operation.
Guzman Lopez, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing drugs and two counts of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise when he appeared in court before US District Judge Sharon Coleman. He now potentially could face a life sentence under the federal government’s increased efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking into the United States.
Prosecutors charge Ovidio and his brothers referred to collectively as the “Chapitos” or “Little Chapos” with reviving the Sinaloa Cartel after their father’s 2016 arrest. Unlike during their father’s reign, the Chapitos concentrated intensely on the production and trafficking of fentanyl, a man-made opioid that has become a top cause of overdose fatalities in the US. Based on federal statistics, fentanyl killed almost 200 Americans daily in 2023.
Nicknamed “El Raton” or “Raton Nuevo,” Ovidio was extradited in September 2023 from Mexico to the United States. His extradition was part of wider US-Mexico cooperation to battle the fentanyl crisis that has also emerged as a source of political disagreement. Former President Donald Trump of the United States had linked Mexico’s anti-fentanyl campaign to trade talks, demanding tougher action in return for tariff easing.
The case has also implicated other prominent cartel leaders. Ovidio’s brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez aka “El Guero” or “Guero Moreno” was detained in El Paso in July together with cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. The bust was celebrated as a major milestone, with reports noting that Joaquin had been utilized by law enforcement to assist in enticing Zambada to US jurisdiction on a private plane.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez entered a plea of not guilty on charges of money laundering and drug trafficking. Prosecutors have said that they will not pursue the death penalty against him. Zambada, who has also entered a plea of not guilty, is said to be willing to consider a plea bargain if capital punishment is excluded from it.
El Chapo, the patriarch of the Guzman siblings, is already serving a life sentence in a maximum-security Colorado jail after his 2019 conviction on several counts of drug trafficking.
