Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of jailed drug lord ‘El Chapo’, pleads guilty in Chicago and agrees to cooperate with US prosecutors for a reduced sentence.
CHICAGO: A son of jailed Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in a US court.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez entered the plea on Monday in a Chicago court, reversing the not guilty stance he took after his arrest in Texas in July 2024.
Court filings show he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and continuing criminal enterprise charges.
Under a plea deal seen by AFP, prosecutors agreed the judge could spare him a mandatory life sentence depending on his level of cooperation with authorities.
“The decision to depart from the applicable guideline sentence…the mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment, rests solely with the Court,” the filing stated.
Guzman Lopez must also pay an $80 million charge representing the proceeds of his crimes, with sentencing to occur at a later date.
His brother, Ovidio Guzman, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to conspiracy and criminal enterprise charges as part of a similar deal for a reduced sentence.
Ovidio Guzman admitted that he and his brothers, known as “Los Chapitos,” had taken over their father’s operations within the Sinaloa cartel.
Their father, “El Chapo,” is serving a life sentence at a supermax federal prison in Colorado following his 2019 conviction.
The plea deal for Guzman Lopez noted he “has clearly demonstrated a recognition and affirmative acceptance of personal responsibility for his criminal conduct.”
It added he was involved in shipping “hundreds or thousands of kilograms” of cocaine, heroin, meth and marijuana from Mexico to the United States.
Guzman Lopez was arrested in July 2024 when he arrived in Texas aboard a private plane with Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael “Mayo” Zambada.
Zambada claimed he was misled about the destination and abducted by Guzman Lopez to be handed over to US authorities.
Clashes subsequently intensified between cartel factions headed by the Guzman brothers and Zambada.
Official figures indicate the infighting led to approximately 1,200 deaths and 1,400 disappearances in Mexico.
Washington accuses the Sinaloa cartel of trafficking fentanyl to the United States, causing tens of thousands of overdose deaths.
US President Donald Trump has designated the Sinaloa cartel and five other groups as global terrorist organizations.
The Trump administration announced additional sanctions against “Los Chapitos” in June for fentanyl trafficking.
It also increased the reward to $10 million for each of the fugitive brothers.
Two other “Chapitos,” Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, remain at large despite US indictments.
