Joaquin Guzman, one of El Chapo’s sons, has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in the United States.

A photo of Joaquin Guzman Lopez's face looking into the camera — photo caption, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, known as “El güero moreno”, was arrested in 2024.

- author, Drafting
- Author title, BBC World News
38 minutes

One of the sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, the convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel, pleaded guilty Monday in the United States to various drug trafficking charges.

Joaquin Guzman Lopez appeared Monday in Chicago federal district court, where he ratified his change of guilty plea — he had initially pleaded not guilty — in the judicial process he faces in Illinois.

Federal prosecutors charged him with two counts of conspiracy related to drug trafficking and participating in the activities of a criminal organization.

Guzmán López is, along with his other brothers, including Ovidio Guzmán López, “El Ratón”, part of the “Los Chapitos” faction that has disputed control of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel since his father was arrested in 2016 and indicted in the United States three years later.

El Raton pleaded guilty to similar charges in July of this year.

photo caption, Joaquín Guzmán and Ismael Zambada after their arrest.

On that day, he arrived on a private plane at an airport near El Paso, accompanied by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the other leader of the Sinaloa cartel alongside “El Chapo.”

Both were immediately arrested by US authorities.

Zambada’s defense claimed that Guzman Lopez and his men took him against his will on the plane, which then traveled directly to Texas until he was arrested that day. Zambada is currently awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges in New York.

Two other Los Chapitos leaders, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, are also wanted on drug trafficking charges in the United States and are presumed to be in Mexico.

Since the capture of Joaquín Guzmán López and Ismael Zambada, “Los Chapitos” and “Los Mayo” factions have clashed in Sinaloa, leaving hundreds dead on both sides and other civilian casualties in Sinaloa.

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