Son of Mexican Drug Lord ‘El Chapo’ agrees to cooperate as he pleads guilty in USA
Published on July 14, 2025 at 6:00 PM by Edgar Naitha
Ovidio Guzmán López, son of notorious drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, has pleaded guilty to U.S. federal drug charges.
He is the first of El Chapo’s sons to accept a plea deal with American authorities.
Ovidio and his brother Joaquín Guzmán López were leaders of the “Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa cartel.
U.S. prosecutors allege that their group was responsible for trafficking enormous amounts of fentanyl into the country.
The fentanyl smuggled by the cartel has been linked to tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the U.S. each year.
As part of his plea agreement, Ovidio admitted to overseeing the production and distribution of cocaine, heroin, meth, marijuana, and fentanyl.
He also pleaded guilty to money laundering and firearms offenses tied to his cartel activities.
The exact details of the plea deal, including sentencing recommendations and cooperation terms, have not been made public.
His sentencing has been postponed as he continues to assist U.S. authorities.
Whether he avoids a life sentence depends on how helpful officials find his cooperation.
Ovidio’s lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, said it is too soon to judge the plea deal’s value until sentencing occurs.
Legal experts believe his cooperation could significantly help U.S. authorities dismantle cartel operations.
Some speculate that the deal may have helped protect his family and allowed him to control whom he implicates.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized the U.S. for the apparent contradiction of negotiating with cartel leaders while labeling them terrorists.
El Chapo remains in a U.S. prison for drug smuggling, while Ovidio’s cooperation may reshape the fight against the Sinaloa cartel.
