Son of ‘El Chapo’ to Plead Guilty in U.S. Drug Trafficking Case

Ovidio Guzmán López, a son of the notorious Mexican cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, is set to change his plea to guilty in a major U.S. drug trafficking case during a Chicago court hearing on Friday, according to court documents and Al Jazeera.

Previously entering a not-guilty plea to charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms offenses, Guzmán López has reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, marking the first time one of El Chapo’s sons has struck such a deal in the United States.

Prosecutors maintain that Guzmán López, along with his brother Joaquín Guzmán López, was deeply involved in running a powerful faction of the Sinaloa Cartel known locally as “Los Chapitos.” They are accused of masterminding a large-scale fentanyl distribution network responsible for sending a “staggering” quantity of the synthetic opioid into the U.S. amid the ongoing opioid epidemic

El Chapo, currently serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison, saw his children reportedly assume leadership roles in the cartel following his conviction. Ovidio was arrested by Mexican authorities in early 2023 and extradited to the United States months later, after which he initially pleaded not guilty.

His brother Joaquín and long-time cartel operative Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada were detained in Texas in 2024 and have pleaded not guilty. Ovidio’s plea deal, if confirmed, could be a strategic move by U.S. prosecutors to strengthen their case against other cartel leaders and possibly bring additional insight into the cartel’s operations.

The agreement marks a notable development in the U.S. pursuit of cartel figures, signaling a shift in strategy that could yield deeper legal leverage against Sinaloa’s leadership and impact the trajectory of the broader drug trade enforcement efforts. A hearing in Chicago is expected to formally record the plea change and set the foundation for sentencing proceedings.

With input from Al Jazeera