Latest news with #Chapitos
Sunday World
12-07-2025
- Sunday World
Son of Mexican drug kingpin ‘El Chapo' Guzman admits trafficking charges
Ovidio Guzman Lopez and his brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, ran a faction of the Sinaloa cartel. A son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin 'El Chapo' has pleaded guilty Friday to US drug trafficking charges. Prosecutors allege Ovidio Guzman Lopez and his brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, ran a faction of the Sinaloa cartel. They became known locally as the 'Chapitos', or little Chapos, and federal authorities in 2023 described the operation as a massive effort to send 'staggering' quantities of fentanyl into the US. Ovidio Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms charges tied to his leadership role in the cartel. Ovidio Guzman Lopez has pleaded guilty (CEPROPIE via AP) News in 90 Seconds - Saturday July 12 As part of a plea agreement, Guzman Lopez admitted to helping oversee the production and smuggling of large quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and fentanyl into the United States, fuelling a crisis that has contributed to tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually. Terms of the deal, including sentencing recommendations or cooperation agreements, were not immediately disclosed. Speculation about a deal had percolated for months, as behind-the-scenes negotiations quietly progressed. The hearing was initially scheduled for Wednesday but was moved to Friday by US District Judge Sharon Coleman without explanation. Hearings have often been delayed or rescheduled. Ovidio Guzman Lopez's father, Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, is serving a life sentence after being convicted in 2019 for his role as the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel, having smuggled mountains of cocaine and other drugs into the United States over 25 years. The brothers allegedly assumed their father's former role as leaders of the Sinaloa cartel. Ovidio Guzman Lopez was arrested in Mexico in 2023 and extradited to the United States. He initially pleaded not guilty but signalled in recent months his intent to change his plea. Joaquin Guzman Lopez and another long-time Sinaloa leader, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, were arrested in July 2024 in Texas after they landed in the US on a private plane. Both men have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges. Their dramatic capture prompted a surge in violence in Mexico's northern state of Sinaloa as two factions of the Sinaloa cartel clashed.
The Herald Scotland
12-07-2025
- The Herald Scotland
El Chapo's son pleads guilty in connection with running Sinaloa Cartel
Guzman's guilty plea in Chicago comes at a point where the level of violence the Chapitos unleashed continues to dominate Sinaloa. Mexican authorities recently found twenty bodies, including several that were decapitated and four that were left hanging from a bridge over a highway. They appeared to be victims of a turf war between the Chapitos and rival Sinaloa faction La Mayiza. 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.
Fox News
12-07-2025
- Fox News
War on cartels yields results as 'El Chapo' heir confesses to running violent drug empire
One of the sons of notorious drug lord "El Chapo" pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court in Chicago to major drug charges and running the Sinaloa Cartel in his father's absence. Ovidio Guzman Lopez, 35, admitted to running part of the Sinaloa Cartel, coordinating massive drug shipments, including fentanyl, heroin and cocaine into the U.S. and using violence to protect cartel operations, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois. His plea is part of a broader federal strategy, "Operation Take Back America," aimed at dismantling transnational criminal organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel. "Today's guilty plea is another major step toward holding the Sinaloa Cartel and its leaders accountable for their role in fueling the fentanyl epidemic that has plagued so many Americans," U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a news release. "We remain committed to dismantling the Cartel's entire fentanyl infrastructure and ensuring that the Chapitos and their violent organization can no longer flood our communities with this poison." Guzman Lopez admitted in the plea agreement that he coordinated the transportation of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and other drugs and precursor chemicals from Mexico to the United States border, at times in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms, according to federal officials. He used a network of couriers affiliated with the cartel to smuggle the drugs into the United States, using vehicles, rail cars, tunnels, aircraft and other means, the plea agreement states. After the drugs were distributed throughout the United States, officials said, individuals working for Guzman Lopez used bulk cash transport, wire transfers, trade of goods and cryptocurrency to launder the illicit proceeds and ensure that the money was transmitted to Guzman Lopez and other members of the cartel in Mexico. Guzman Lopez then admitted he and his cartel associates committed violent acts against law enforcement officials, civilians and rival drug traffickers to protect the cartel's drug-trafficking activities. As part of the plea agreement, Guzman Lopez will also forfeit $80 million, though his sentencing date hasn't been set. He is one of four brothers known as "The Chapitos," who took over after their father's arrest in 2016. Joaquin Guzman Lopez was arrested last year and is being held in the U.S. without bail. He pleaded not guilty and is waiting for his trial in Illinois. Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are also facing charges in Illinois and New York. They have not been arrested yet, and warrants have been issued for their arrests. Federal officials praised the guilty plea, saying "with each passing day, you are seeing the sunset of the Sinaloa Cartel." "The Chapitos' latest violence reflects their fading future. Their leaders who remain free are now paranoid, distrusted and desperate," U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon wrote. The U.S. State Department has issued rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to their arrests and convictions. "The guilty plea by Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of 'El Chapo,' is a real victory for both the United States and Mexico but also a clear win for the rule of law," said Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations Arizona Ray Rede. "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. It's impossible to measure the amount of work HSI and partner agencies have spent in securing this guilty verdict, but what is clear and evident is that no one is beyond the reach of law enforcement and our nation's laws. Deliberate and coordinated teamwork resulted in today's victory." Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- The Guardian
Son of El Chapo pleads guilty in US drug trafficking case
A son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin 'El Chapo' pleaded guilty on Friday to US drug-trafficking charges, becoming the first of the drug lord's sons to enter a plea deal. Prosecutors allege Ovidio Guzmán López and his brother, Joaquín Guzmán López, ran a faction of the Sinaloa cartel. They became known locally as the 'Chapitos', or 'little Chapos', and federal authorities in 2023 described the operation as a major effort to send 'staggering' quantities of fentanyl into the US. As part of a plea agreement, Ovidio Guzmán López admitted to helping oversee the production and smuggling of large quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and fentanyl into the United States, fueling a crisis that has contributed to tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually. Ovidio Guzmán López pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms charges tied to his leadership role in the cartel. Terms of the deal, including sentencing recommendations or cooperation agreements, were not immediately disclosed. Speculation about a deal had percolated for months, as behind-the-scenes negotiations quietly progressed. Jeffrey Lichtman, an attorney for the two brothers, said on Friday he would wait until Ovidio Guzmán López was sentenced before discussing whether the agreement was a good deal. Ovidio Guzmán López's sentencing was postponed while he cooperates with US authorities, as he agreed to do on Friday. Whether he avoids a life in prison sentence depends on whether authorities say he has held up his end of the agreement. Lichtman said he did not know whether the case against Joaquín Guzmán López could be resolved with a plea deal, noting that it was 'completely different'. 'Remember, Joaquín was arrested in America well after Ovidio was, so it takes time,' he said. Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Law School and former assistant US attorney in Los Angeles, said that Ovidio Guzmán López, by pleading guilty, may have 'saved other family members'. 'In this way, he has some control over who he's cooperating against and what the world will know about that cooperation.' Levenson called the plea change a 'big step' for the US. government and said Ovidio Guzmán López could provide 'a roadmap of how to identify members of the cartel'. 'This is big,' she said. 'The best way for them to take out the cartel is to find out about its operations from an insider, and that's what they get from his cooperation.' The Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, on Friday criticized the 'lack of coherence' in American policy toward Mexican cartels, highlighting the disparity between the US government declaring cartels foreign terrorist organizations, but also striking plea deals with their leaders. Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán is serving a life sentence after being convicted in 2019 for his role as the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel, having smuggled mountains of cocaine and other drugs into the United States over 25 years. The brothers allegedly assumed their father's former leadership role in the cartel. Ovidio Guzmán López was arrested in Mexico in 2023 and extradited to the United States. He initially pleaded not guilty but had signaled in recent months his intent to change his plea. Joaquín Guzmán López and another longtime Sinaloa leader, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, were arrested in July 2024 in Texas after they landed in the US on a private plane. Both men have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges. Their dramatic capture prompted a surge in violence in Mexico's northern state of Sinaloa as two factions of the Sinaloa cartel clashed.
New York Post
11-07-2025
- New York Post
Son of drug kingpin ‘El Chapo' pleads guilty in US drug case, aims to avoid life sentencing
A son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin 'El Chapo' pleaded guilty Friday to U.S. drug trafficking charges, becoming the first of the drug lord's sons to enter a plea deal. Prosecutors allege Ovidio Guzman Lopez and his brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, ran a faction of the Sinaloa cartel. They became known locally as the 'Chapitos,' or 'little Chapos,' and federal authorities in 2023 described the operation as a massive effort to send 'staggering' quantities of fentanyl into the U.S. 3 Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin 'El Chapo,' pleaded guilty Friday to U.S. drug trafficking charges. As part of a plea agreement, Ovidio Guzman Lopez admitted to helping oversee the production and smuggling of large quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and fentanyl into the United States, fueling a crisis that has contributed to tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually. Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms charges tied to his leadership role in the cartel. Terms of the deal, including sentencing recommendations or cooperation agreements, were not immediately disclosed. Speculation about a deal had percolated for months, as behind-the-scenes negotiations quietly progressed. Jeffrey Lichtman, an attorney for the two brothers, said Friday he would wait until Ovidio Guzman Lopez was sentenced before discussing whether the agreement was a good deal. Guzman Lopez's sentencing was postponed while he cooperates with U.S. authorities, as he agreed to do so on Friday. Whether he avoids a life in prison sentence depends on whether authorities say he has held up his end of the agreement. 3 Lopez agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors in the hopes of avoiding a life-in-prison sentence. AP Lichtman said he didn't know whether the case against Joaquin Guzman Lopez could be resolved with a plea deal, noting that it is 'completely different.' 'Remember, Joaquin was arrested in America well after Ovidio was, so it takes time,' he said. Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Law School and former assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, said that Guzman Lopez, by pleading guilty, may have 'saved other family members.' 'In this way, he has some control over who he's cooperating against and what the world will know about that cooperation.' Levenson called the plea change a 'big step' for the U.S. government and said Guzman Lopez could provide 'a roadmap of how to identify members of the cartel.' 'This is big,' she said. 3 Mugshot of infamous drug kingpin 'El Chapo' after his 2nd arrest in 2016. AFP via Getty Images 'The best way for them to take out the cartel is to find out about its operations from an insider, and that's what they get from his cooperation.' Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday criticized the 'lack of coherence' in American policy toward Mexican cartels, highlighting the disparity between the U.S. government declaring cartels foreign terrorist organizations, but also striking plea deals with their leaders. Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is serving a life sentence after being convicted in 2019 for his role as the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel, having smuggled mountains of cocaine and other drugs into the United States over 25 years. The brothers allegedly assumed their father's former role as leaders of the cartel. Ovidio Guzman Lopez was arrested in Mexico in 2023 and extradited to the United States. He initially pleaded not guilty but had signaled in recent months his intent to change his plea. Joaquin Guzman Lopez 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. Both men have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges. Their dramatic capture prompted a surge in violence in Mexico's northern state of Sinaloa as two factions of the Sinaloa cartel clashed.
