Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of notorious drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, pleaded guilty on 11/7 to federal charges in the US. The charges include running the "Chapitos" faction of the Sinaloa cartel and trafficking large quantities of fentanyl into the US.
In the plea agreement, Ovidio admitted to overseeing the production and shipment of drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl. He also pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapons charges. Specific terms of the agreement, such as the recommended sentence or cooperation commitments, have not been disclosed.
Speculation about a plea deal has circulated for months amid quiet negotiations. Ovidio's sentencing has been postponed to allow him to cooperate with US authorities as agreed in the plea deal, which will determine whether he avoids a life sentence.
 |
Ovidio Guzman Lopez at the time of his arrest in 2023. Photo: CNN |
Ovidio Guzman Lopez at the time of his arrest in 2023. Photo: CNN
Jeffrey Lichtman, the lawyer representing Ovidio and his brother Joaquin Guzman Lopez, said he would wait until Ovidio's sentencing to comment on whether the deal was beneficial.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized what she called the US's inconsistent approach to the drug war, declaring Mexican cartels "foreign terrorist organizations" while simultaneously making deals with their leaders.
Law professor Laurie Levenson of Loyola Law School and a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, suggested Ovidio's guilty plea might be a move to "protect other family members." This way, he could control who he cooperates with and what information is revealed.
Levenson believes this is a significant step for the US government, as Ovidio's testimony could help identify key players within the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico. "The most effective way to dismantle a cartel is to understand its inner workings from someone on the inside. Ovidio can offer US authorities that," she said.
El Chapo is serving a life sentence in the US after being convicted in 2019 for leading the Sinaloa cartel, which smuggled cocaine and other drugs into the US for over 25 years. His sons are believed to have assumed key leadership roles after his capture.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez was arrested in Mexico in 2023 and later extradited to the US. He initially pleaded not guilty but recently indicated his intention to change his plea.
Ovidio's brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, and another longtime Sinaloa leader, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, were arrested in Texas in July 2024 after flying into the US on a private jet. Both have denied the charges. The arrests sparked violence in Sinaloa state, with two factions clashing fiercely.
Thanh Danh (CNN, Guardian)
