Chicago, 2 December (H.S.): Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of the infamous Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, pleaded guilty on Monday to drug trafficking charges in a U.S. federal court in Chicago. Known colloquially as one of the Chapitos, or little Chapos, Joaquin and his brother Ovidio Guzman Lopez have been accused of running a powerful faction of the Sinaloa cartel responsible for trafficking vast quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana into the United States.

Guzman Lopez admitted guilt on two counts: drug trafficking and engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, acknowledging his role in overseeing the production and smuggling operations that have contributed to a devastating opioid crisis responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually. He was arrested alongside another prominent cartel leader, Ismael El Mayo Zambada, in Texas in July 2024 after arriving in the U.S. on a private plane.

This landmark plea deal follows a similar agreement reached by Ovidio Guzman Lopez in July, marking a significant legal victory for U.S. prosecutors targeting the high echelons of cartel leadership. Legal experts hailed the developments as critical in dismantling the Sinaloa cartel’s extensive drug trafficking network that has plagued communities on both sides of the border for decades.

Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the father, is currently serving a life sentence after his 2019 conviction for orchestrating the massive narcotics smuggling operation that spanned over 25 years. The Guzman brothers are believed to have assumed leadership roles within the cartel following their father's incarceration, perpetuating a legacy of crime that the U.S. government continues to aggressively combat.

The guilty plea is a pivotal step in the ongoing effort to curtail the flow of deadly drugs into the United States and disrupt one of the world’s most notorious criminal enterprises.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar