plead guilty to Joaquin Guzman LopezKnown as “El Güero” and son Joaquin “El Chapo” GuzmanIt represents an important moment in the attack USA Opposite the dome Sinaloa Cartel.
After two of the Guzmán brothers (Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán López) officially pleaded guilty to drug trafficking crimes, the US government stepped up and warned of cross-border persecution to find the rest of the faction. Los Chapitos It’s still going.
Following a hearing on Monday, December 1 in the Federal Court for the Northern District of Illinois, where Joaquin Guzman Lopez He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and running a continuing criminal enterprise, by various government figures USA They came out to publicly celebrate the coup against the Sinaloa cartel structure.
Attorney General, Pamela BundyHe described the decision as: “Great victory” On the crusade to dismantle criminal networks that the government believes directly threaten American public health and safety.
he United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, Adam GordonHe summarized the official position with a phrase that put the new American goal on the table: “Two down, two to go.”
The reference refers to the fact that – with the fall of “El Guero” and the fall of his brother “El Raton” last July – only two fugitives remained. Ivan Archivaldo and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazarare considered the main operational commanders of Los Chapitos.
The US government indicated that there were rewards for Up to $10 million To obtain information leading to the arrest of both brothers. The Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that legal procedures will continue “until all leaders” of the organization are brought to justice.
The Department of Justice confirms that the attack targets both the cartel’s visual command and the logistical and financial networks.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez I accepted that for years I moved a ton of Fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana To American territory using advanced means of transportation: From cars and trains to tunnels, planes and submarines.
In the agreement, El Chapo’s son accepted the confiscation 80 million dollars Attributable to direct profits from its operations.
Last February, Donald Trump’s government designated several drug trafficking rings, including the Narcotics Control Organization Sinaloa Cartel like Foreign criminal organizations This made them a priority for prosecution.
The prosecution explained that the criminal organization, under the control of… Los ChapitosIt has consolidated itself in coordinating the global chain of drug manufacturing and trafficking, including the purchase of chemical precursors from Asia, and clandestine manufacturing and large-scale export to the United States.
Director of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance ColeActing Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Gregory HebbHe stressed that these judicial coups will not stop the attack, and that the goal is to completely dismantle the controls and financial oversight that Los Chapitos maintains over illicit drug trafficking.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez He surrendered to US authorities in July 2024 and accepted the charges involving A Imprisonment for a period of not less than 10 years and up to life imprisonmentAlthough his final punishment will depend on the degree of information and cooperation he provides. The next hearing in his case is scheduled June 1, 2026.
His brother, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, is in a similar situation. He has a hearing scheduled January 9, 2026 In federal court in Chicago, Illinois Determine your sentencing date.
he July 11 He pleaded guilty Four counts of organized crime and drug trafficking. His agreement with the United States included the payment of $80 million and full cooperation to obtain a reduced sentence. If Ovid does not commit to cooperating, He could face life in prison.
Finally, another key history is that of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, who was arrested on July 25 in the United States after being kidnapped by Joaquín Guzman Lopez.
His sentencing hearing was scheduled for this week January 12, 2026. Zambada, 78, pleaded guilty in August Two counts of drug trafficking and directing a continuing criminal enterprise Under the RICO Act. Through his agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office, he agreed to pay 15 billion dollars and He could receive life imprisonment.