Son of “El Chapo” to Plead Guilty in U.S. Drug Charges

The son of the infamous Mexican drug lord “El Chapo” is expected to admit guilt to drug trafficking charges in the United States, according to court filings.

Prosecutors accuse Ovidio Guzman Lopez, along with his brother Joaquin Guzman Lopez, of leading a faction of the Sinaloa cartel known as the “Chapitos,” responsible for smuggling fentanyl into the U.S.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez was detained in Mexico in 2023 and extradited to face federal charges in Chicago, which include money laundering, drug crimes, and firearms offenses. Despite initially pleading not guilty, court records show he is scheduled to change his plea to guilty as part of a potential deal with prosecutors during a hearing in October.

This move makes Ovidio Guzman Lopez the first of the Guzman brothers to agree to a plea deal. His brother, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, remains in U.S. custody after being arrested in Texas in July, along with another cartel leader, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. Joaquin has also pleaded not guilty to multiple charges.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez in custody — Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of “El Chapo,” was captured in Mexico in 2019 and later extradited to the U.S.

The arrest of Ovidio Guzman Lopez in Mexico in 2023 led to increased violence in Sinaloa, as rival factions within the cartel clashed amid the chaos.