A son of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is expected to plead guilty to narcotics charges in a Chicago court Friday as part of a deal in return for a reduced sentence.
Nicknamed “El Raton,” or “The Mouse,” Ovidio Guzman signed a deal dated June 30 indicating he would enter a guilty plea to avoid a jury trial and a potentially harsher sentence if convicted.
During a hearing scheduled to be held in a Chicago court, the guilty plea is expected to be formalised after months of negotiation with the prosecution.
Ovidio Guzman, 35, is accused of conspiring in a continuing criminal enterprise, importing and distributing fentanyl, laundering money, and using firearms.
His guilty plea will likely result in a far shorter prison term than the life sentence given to his father El Chapo, following a high-profile trial held in 2018.
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He could offer US authorities “valuable information” about the cartel and its protectors, Mike Vigil, former DEA operations chief, told AFP.
Ovidio gained prominence in 2019 when detained in Mexico, but was released by presidential order after gang clashes. He was re-arrested in January 2023 and extradited to the US.
US officials say he and his brothers lead “Los Chapitos,” a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel linked to fentanyl trafficking and labelled a global terrorist group by the Trump administration.
Their activities are tied to cartel violence that has killed over 1,200 and left 1,400 missing in Mexico’s Sinaloa state.
Another son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, was arrested after flying into the US with cartel co-founder “El Mayo” Zambada.
The US has since increased sanctions and rewards on Los Chapitos to $10 million each.
Punch Newspaper
