Ovidio Guzman Lopez, offspring of the infamous incarcerated Mexican narcotics kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, made a formal admission of guilt on Friday to multiple counts of criminal activity. These breaches, tied to two distinct drug-trafficking cases, centered on the notorious Sinaloa Cartel which his father once led. Standing before U.S. District Judge Sharon Coleman in Chicago, 35-year-old Ovidio confessed to two counts of narcotic distribution and a further two counts for involvement in an ongoing illicit scheme. His transgressions could land him a life sentence.
Communicating in serene tones via a translator, Ovidio conceded to a plethora of wrongdoings. These indiscretions, detailed in two federal charges, range from abduction and assassination to corruption. The next scheduled courtroom rendezvous for the young Guzman is set for half a year from now.
Federal accusations lodged in both New York and the Windy City target Ovidio Guzman Lopez and his siblings, collectively referred to as the ‘Chapitos,’ or ‘little Chapos.’ Prosecutors contend that following their father’s 2016 detention, the brothers resuscitated the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations. Their strategy of choice involved the adoption of fentanyl as a lucrative venture, resulting in profiteering to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars by transporting the lethal opioid to U.S. soil.
Otherwise referred to as ‘El Raton’ or ‘Raton Nuevo,’ English translations being ‘The Mouse’ and ‘New Mouse’ respectively, Ovidio Guzman Lopez was deported from Mexico in September 2023. This extradition formed part of the broader federal agenda to combat the fentanyl epidemic, a drug that claimed close to 200 American lives daily in the year of Ovidio’s extradition.
The mounting death toll associated with fentanyl has been a principal concern during President Donald Trump’s trade talks with Mexico. Trump has been forthright in his demands for Mexico to intensify its efforts to curb the fentanyl influx in exchange for a respite from a tariff imposition.
Another chapter in this transnational drama occurred when Ovidio’s sibling Joaquin Guzman Lopez found himself in the custody of El Paso authorities. His arrest was in tandem with that of Sinaloa’s high-ranking operative Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada in July the previous year. U.S. agents had manipulated Joaquin into a trap, enticing Zambada onto U.S. territory aboard a personal aircraft.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez, also identified by monikers such as “El Guero” and “Guero Moreno,” is contesting against allegations of drug-trafficking and monetizing from illegal activities. The law maintains that his deeds do not warrant the imposition of capital punishment. Meanwhile, authorities have confirmed they have no intention of seeking the death penalty for him.
Zambada, a comrade-in-arms during the genesis of the Sinaloa Cartel alongside El Chapo, similarly pleaded ‘not guilty’ when initially accused. As the case unfolded, his legal counsel in February extended an offer of a guilty plea from Zambada if it meant his life would be spared from the death penalty.
El Chapo, the fearsome kingpin and founding member of the Sinaloa Cartel, is currently held in a high security prison in Colorado. After his conviction on drug trafficking charges in 2019, El Chapo now finds himself living out his days under a life sentence.