Son of Mexican Drug Kingpin ‘El Chapo’ Pleads Guilty to US Drug Charges

Prosecutors alleged that Ovidio Guzman Lopez succeeded his father as one of the leaders of the Sinaloa cartel.

Ovidio Guzmán López being detained in Culiacán, Mexico, on Oct. 17, 2019. Cepropie/AP

A son of Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in a federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Illinois.

Ovidio Guzmán López, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug conspiracy and two counts of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, the office said in a July 11 statement. He has been in U.S. custody since his extradition from Mexico in 2023.

Prosecutors alleged that Guzmán López succeeded his father as one of the leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, which has been described as one of the world’s most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations.

Guzmán López and his three brothers—Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, and Joaquín Guzmán López—allegedly took over the Sinaloa cartel’s leadership after their father, El Chapo, was arrested in 2016.

All of them faced drug trafficking charges in the United States, and their father has remained in U.S. custody without bond, according to Guzmán López’s indictment.

As part of his plea deal, Guzmán López admitted to coordinating the transport of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs, and precursor chemicals, from Mexico to the U.S. border, using a network of couriers affiliated with the cartel.

He also admitted to perpetrating violence against law enforcement officials, civilians, and rival drug traffickers in order to protect the continuation of Sinaloa’s drug trafficking operations, it stated.

The plea deal also includes an $80 million forfeiture money judgment, which the defendant has agreed to. His sentencing date remains uncertain, according to the statement.

The Epoch Times reached out to Guzmán López’s attorney for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

Ray Rede, acting special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Arizona, described the deal as “a real victory” for both the United States and Mexico in the fight against drug trafficking.

“So much blood and violence lay with the Guzman family as well as spreading terror and plaguing both sides of the border with deadly drugs and weapons—no more,” Rede said in the statement. “Deliberate and coordinated teamwork resulted in today’s victory.”

Two of Guzmán López’s brothers—Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar—remain at large. The State Department is offering rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to their arrests and convictions.

On June 9, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the two fugitives and several members of their network for their alleged roles in fentanyl trafficking, money laundering, and fueling violence through the Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Chapitos faction.

The sanctions freeze any U.S.-based assets and prohibit Americans from doing business with the individuals or entities involved.

Chase Smith contributed to this report.