Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, has pleaded guilty to US drug trafficking and continuing criminal enterprise charges in a Chicago federal court. This move follows a US plea deal that is expected to spare him a mandatory life sentence.
Guzmán López, 39, who along with his brothers is known as one of the “Los Chapitos,” admitted his role in overseeing the faction of the Sinaloa Cartel responsible for smuggling vast quantities of drugs into the United States. During the hearing, he confirmed his occupation to the judge simply as “drug trafficking.”
His guilty plea reverses an earlier stance and involves his cooperation with US prosecutors, a condition that could lead to a reduced sentence. He faces a minimum of 10 years in prison. Guzmán López admitted to orchestrating the transport of tens of thousands of kilograms of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl smuggling into the US, fueling the ongoing overdose crisis.
This development marks the second El Chapo’s son to strike a plea deal, following his brother Ovidio Guzmán López, who pleaded guilty in July 2025. The guilty pleas represent a significant victory for the US government in its efforts to dismantle the leadership of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel.
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