El Chapo's son Joaquin Guzman Lopez pleads guilty to drug trafficking in US
Joaquín Guzmán López / Immigration and Customs Enforcement
LOS ANGELES - Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and an alleged leader of the Sinaloa cartel's "Chapitos" faction, pleaded guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges on Monday.
What we know:
Joaquín Guzmán López pleaded guilty to two counts: drug trafficking and continuing criminal enterprise.
As part of the plea deal, he admitted to helping oversee the production and smuggling of large quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl into the U.S.
The plea deal, which follows a similar agreement by his brother Ovidio Guzmán López in July, acknowledges his role in the large-scale smuggling of drugs.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Son of 'El Chapo,' Ovidio Guzman Lopez, pleads guilty in US drug trafficking case
Federal authorities in 2023 described the cartel's operation as a massive effort to send "staggering" quantities of fentanyl into the U.S., "fueling a crisis" that has contributed to tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually.
He and another longtime Sinaloa leader, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, were arrested in July 2024 in Texas after they landed in the U.S. on a private plane.
The backstory:
Joaquín Guzmán López and his brother, Ovidio Guzmán López, are known locally in Mexico as the "Chapitos," or "little Chapos."
They are accused of running a faction of the Sinaloa cartel and allegedly assumed their father’s former role as leaders of the organization.
Their father, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, smuggled "mountains of cocaine and other drugs into the United States over 25 years."
Big picture view:
Legal experts called Ovidio Guzmán López's plea deal a "significant step" for the U.S. government in their investigation and prosecution of Sinaloa cartel leaders.
The plea deals by the two brothers follow the 2019 conviction of their father, who is currently serving a life sentence.
The admissions by the sons confirm their involvement in smuggling fentanyl and other drugs into the U.S.
The Source: The information reported here is sourced directly from federal authorities in the United States, citing official 2023 descriptions of the cartel's drug operation. Details of the plea deals are based on court records detailing the admissions made by Joaquín Guzmán López regarding his role in overseeing the smuggling of cocaine, fentanyl, and other drugs. Background and context regarding the family's leadership roles and prior arrests are attributed to legal experts and AP reporting.