Two sons of notorious drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, Ovidio Guzmán and Joaquín Guzmán López, have recently confirmed they are in negotiations for a plea deal with the U.S. government, according to their attorney during a federal court status hearing in Chicago on Monday. This development aligns with an August report from the Mexican news outlet Milenio, suggesting that they may be seeking a more lenient sentence, which could potentially position them to become cooperating witnesses for U.S. authorities. However, it remains uncertain if they will accept a plea agreement or actively participate as cooperating witnesses.
At the hearing, it was also revealed that Ovidio Guzmán and his brother could be represented by the same attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, who previously defended El Chapo during his high-profile trial in 2019. The trial witnessed several cooperating witnesses testify against El Chapo. Meanwhile, the elder Guzmán submitted a letter to the Brooklyn federal court seeking a new trial, citing issues of “ineffective” representation and “illegal” extradition to New York.
Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán López, along with their two brothers who are still at large in Mexico, lead “Los Chapitos,” a faction of the Sinaloa cartel, one of the most formidable organized crime groups in Mexico. El Chapo was a prominent figure within the cartel for many years. The Guzmán brothers face multiple charges in the northern district of Illinois, including conspiracy to run a criminal enterprise and distributing controlled substances.
Ovidio was arrested in Mexico in 2023 and later extradited to the United States, while Joaquín Guzmán López was apprehended in July of this year alongside Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the secretive and long-standing leader of the Sinaloa cartel. El Mayo has recently accused Joaquín of kidnapping him and delivering him to U.S. authorities. Following these allegations, the Mexican attorney general’s office has initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding El Mayo’s kidnapping. He claimed in a letter that he was misled into attending a meeting with political figures in Culiacán, where he was overpowered by Joaquín’s associates.
Recent hearings related to El Mayo at a Brooklyn federal court have highlighted that U.S. officials are still deliberating on whether to seek the death penalty against him, with the next hearing scheduled for January 15, 2025.
Since El Chapo’s trial in 2019, tensions have escalated between the Guzmán faction and El Mayo’s group, particularly after one of El Mayo’s sons testified against El Chapo. Following the kidnapping of El Mayo by Joaquín Guzmán López, both factions have been embroiled in a violent conflict in Mexico, competing for drug trafficking routes and supremacy over the Sinaloa cartel.
Historically, the Sinaloa cartel has held a dominant position as Mexico’s largest organized crime group, controlling significant portions of the drug trade and engaging in fierce battles with rival organizations while exerting influence over politicians.
In another notable legal development, Genaro García Luna, Mexico’s former security minister and architect of the country’s “war on drugs,” was sentenced last week to 38 years in prison for colluding with the Sinaloa cartel. Witnesses during García Luna’s trial in 2023 testified that cartel leaders had paid him substantial bribes for protection and support of their operations while he oversaw Mexico’s federal police and maintained close ties with U.S. law enforcement agencies.
The next hearing for Ovidio Guzmán and Joaquín Guzmán López is set for January 7, 2025. At that time, it may become clear whether they will finalize a plea deal to cooperate with the U.S. government’s case against El Mayo. Their attorney has not disclosed any information regarding their potential cooperation.
