Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of notorious Mexican drug lord “El Chapo” pleaded guilty on Friday (local time) to drug trafficking charges in the United States. He is the first of El Chapo’s sons to agree to a plea deal with US prosecutors.Prosecutors say Ovidio and his brother, Joaquín Guzmán López, led a faction of the Sinaloa cartel known as the “Chapitos” or “little Chapos.” Authorities described their operation as a major effort to smuggle huge amounts of fentanyl into the US, contributing to tens of thousands of overdose deaths every year.As part of the plea deal, Ovidio admitted to overseeing the production and trafficking of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and fentanyl into the US. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering and firearms charges connected to his leadership role in the cartel.The specific terms of the agreement, including possible sentencing reductions or cooperation agreements, were not immediately disclosed. However, officials said sentencing has been delayed as Ovidio cooperates with US authorities.His lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, said he would wait until sentencing before discussing whether it was a good deal. Lichtman also pointed out that the case against Ovidio’s brother Joaquín is different and might take longer to resolve.“Remember, Joaquin was arrested in America well after Ovidio was, so it takes time,” Lichtman said.Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Law School and former assistant US attorney in Los Angeles, said Ovidio’s guilty plea might have helped protect his 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 described the plea deal as a “big step” for the US government.Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday criticized what she called a “lack of coherence” in American policy toward Mexican cartels. She pointed out the contradiction between the US labeling cartels as foreign terrorist organizations while also making plea deals with their leaders.Ovidio Guzmán López was arrested in Mexico in 2023 and extradited to the United States. He had first pleaded not guilty but signaled in recent months that he would change his plea.His father, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, is serving a life sentence in the US after being convicted in 2019 for leading the Sinaloa cartel and having smuggled massive amount of cocaine and other drugs into the United States for over 25 years.
