Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of Mexican drug kingpin «El Chapo,» pleaded guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges after his brother entered a plea deal in July.
Dec. 1 Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of Mexican drug kingpin «El Chapo», pleaded guilty on Monday in Chicago to U.S. drug trafficking charges, after his brother entered a plea deal in July.
And for the first time, he admitted during the hearing to leading the kidnapping of elusive Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael «El Mayo» Zambada in 2024. In an effort for leniency, he surrendered with Zambada in New Mexico after a private plane trip from Mexico.
Known in Mexico as the «Chapitos», or «little Chapos», Joaquin Guzman Lopez and brother Ovidio Guzman Lopez were among four sons charged in a 2023 indictment in Chicago that accuses them of controlling their father’s empire, including through violence. The two brothers were arrested in July 2024.
The other brothers are Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, who are fugitives. A reward of $10 million has been offered by the U.S. State Department for information leading to the arrest of each of Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar.
Joaquin «El Chapo» Guzman is serving a life sentence after being convicted in 2019 for his role as the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel for over 25 years. The brothers allegedly assumed their father’s former role as leaders of the cartel when he was arrested in 2016.
