Joaquín Guzmán López, son of ”Chapo”, will plead guilty in the US

Guzmán López was charged in 2023 along with three of his brothers on drug trafficking and money laundering charges in the United States, related to his takeover of the leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel, after his father’s extradition to the United States in 2017.

The son of “Chapo” Guzmán was taken into custody by US authorities in July 2024, along with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, accused of being one of the drug trafficking bosses who founded the Sinaloa Cartel.

Mexican federal authorities accuse him of kidnapping and treason, for allegedly forcing Zambada to take a plane to his capture in the United States.

After his arrest, in July 2024, the son of Joaquín ”El Chapo” Guzmán pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

In May 2025, United States prosecutors reported that they would not seek the death penalty for Guzmán López if he were convicted of drug trafficking charges in the country.

According to the BOP website, Guzmán López is being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Chicago. Its registration number is 72884-748.

Guzmán López, 38, is accused of conspiring in a continuing criminal enterprise, importing and distributing fentanyl, money laundering and using firearms.

Joaquín Guzmán López, alias “El Güero”, “Moreno” and/or “Güero Moreno”, is one of the four children that “El Chapo” Guzmán had with Griselda López: Ovidio, Griselda Guadalupe and Édgar (murdered in 2008).

Ovidio Guzmán, his brother, will also plead guilty to drug trafficking in the United States.