El Chapo's son pleads guilty in connection with running Sinaloa Cartel
Authorities hope Guzman Lopez's plea deal will help pave the way to further prosecution of the Chapitos and the Sinaloa cartel as a whole, experts say. It's unclear what information "El Raton" or "the Mouse" as he is known has agreed to share.
"This is obviously a hugely symbolic case for the United States, U.S. prosecutors have made the Chapitos a top priority for years," said Parker Asmann, a Sinaloa Cartel expert with organized crime research group InSight Crime. "Securing his cooperation could mean they could undermine the drug trade and attack corruption in Mexico they want to target."
Guzman Lopez admitted to four charges: two stemming from an indictment in Illinois and two from an indictment out of New York. The charges included international drug trafficking and engaging in a criminal enterprise.
The judge delayed sentencing to a later date, but prosecutors and defense attorneys said Guzman Lopez could potentially face life in prison and have to forfeit $80 million.
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