Ovidio Guzmán López, son of jailed drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking and organized crime charges in a U.S. court.
Guzmán, 35, entered the plea on Friday at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in downtown Chicago, where prosecutors have long tracked the Sinaloa Cartel’s influence. He faces a possible life sentence after admitting to two counts of drug distribution and two counts of participating in a continuing criminal enterprise. His next court appearance before U.S. District Judge Sharon Coleman is scheduled for six months from now.
Ovidio was captured in his hometown of Culiacán, Sinaloa, in January 2023 and extradited to the United States in September of that year.
His guilty plea comes amid ongoing cartel violence in Sinaloa. In late June, 20 bodies — including five that were decapitated — were discovered in Culiacán. Just weeks earlier, clashes between rival cartel factions, Los Chapitos and Los Mayos, shut down highways in and around the city. The conflict intensified after the arrest of two rival cartel figures, including Ovidio’s brother, Joaquín Guzmán López, whom Los Mayos leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada accused of kidnapping and turning over to U.S. authorities.
Zambada is currently held in a federal prison in Brooklyn, while Joaquín Guzmán López remains in custody in Chicago, where he is expected to enter a guilty plea in September.
Prosecutors allege that Ovidio and his brothers — known collectively as “Los Chapitos” — helped rebuild the Sinaloa Cartel after their father’s 2016 arrest, shifting the focus to fentanyl production and distribution. The deadly opioid has been a key driver of the U.S. overdose crisis.
As part of his plea deal, Ovidio admitted to overseeing the production and trafficking of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana into the U.S., as well as to charges of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms. The full terms of the agreement, including sentencing recommendations or any cooperation arrangement, have not been made public.
There has been widespread speculation that Ovidio is cooperating with U.S. authorities. Attorney Rob Heroy told BBC Mundo that such a plea would likely be tied to collaboration. “There would be no incentive for him to plead guilty unless he was cooperating,” Heroy said.
In October 2024, El País reported that Ovidio and his brother Joaquín were negotiating plea deals and would be represented by the same attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, who also defended “El Chapo.” Lichtman declined to comment on the deal Friday, telling CNN he would wait until sentencing to evaluate its outcome.
In May, Mexican officials confirmed that 17 members of the extended Guzmán family had crossed into the U.S. under the terms of a reported deal between Ovidio and federal prosecutors.
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized the U.S. approach, calling it inconsistent. “The U.S. declared Mexican cartels terrorist organizations in January and yet they continue to negotiate with their representatives,” she said.
Parker Asmann, a senior analyst with InSight Crime, noted that Ovidio’s cooperation could mark a turning point in U.S. efforts to dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel. “Securing his cooperation could allow them to disrupt drug trafficking networks and address systemic corruption in Mexico,” he told USA Today.