Sept. 20, 2023; Washington, D.C., USA - Rep. Lou Correa, (D-CA) showing a photograph of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán, who was extradited to the U.S from Mexico, as he questions U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before House Judiciary Committee during hearing: Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice on Sept. 20, 2023 in Washington, D.C.. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY
Washington D.C. – Joaquin Guzman Lopez, heir to one of the most notorious crime families on the planet, pleaded guilty in federal court this week, admitting his role at the helm of the Sinaloa Cartel’s brutal drug enterprise. Guzman Lopez, 39, is the son of Joaquin Guzman Loera — better known as El Chapo — and one of four brothers who stepped into power after their father’s arrest and conviction.
In statements following the plea, federal officials cast the moment as a turning point in the United States’ campaign to dismantle the cartel’s leadership. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the Sinaloa Cartel “is a terrorist organization” responsible for decades of violence and addiction in American communities. She called Guzman Lopez’s guilty plea “a major victory.”
DEA Administrator Terrance Cole described the Chapitos’ empire as a pipeline of “poison,” responsible for fueling the deadliest drug crisis in American history. “We will not stop until these narco-terrorists are held accountable,” Cole said.
Prosecutors say Guzman Lopez coordinated vast drug shipments into the United States — cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana — often in quantities measured not in ounces or kilograms but in tens of thousands of pounds. The cartel used couriers, rail cars, tunnels, aircraft, submersible vessels, and other trafficking methods to move product across the border. Once inside the country, a network of operatives laundered the profits back to Mexico.
Officials say the cartel under Guzman Lopez also relied on bribery and violence, bribing public officials and attacking rivals, law enforcement, and even members of its own ranks. In the plea deal, Guzman Lopez admitted to involvement in an international kidnapping — an act he allegedly committed in hopes of receiving cooperation credit. Prosecutors noted the United States did not request, induce, or reward the kidnapping.
The plea agreement includes an $80 million personal money judgment, reflecting proceeds tied to his criminal activity. Guzman Lopez acknowledged trafficking more than 36 kilograms of fentanyl, 90 kilograms of heroin, 450 kilograms of cocaine, 45 kilograms of methamphetamine, and roughly 90,000 kilograms of marijuana.
Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy and one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. The charges carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. He has been in U.S. custody since July 2024.
His plea marks the second time in recent months the Chapitos have faced significant blows in U.S. courts. His brother, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, also pleaded guilty earlier this year in the Northern District of Illinois and awaits sentencing. Two other brothers, Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, remain fugitives. Federal authorities have offered up to $10 million in rewards for information leading to their capture.
“Two down, two to go,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon of the Southern District of California, whose office has helped spearhead the pursuit of the cartel’s leadership.
Federal officials emphasized that the guilty plea is part of Operation Take Back America, a governmentwide push aimed at dismantling transnational criminal organizations. HSI, the FBI, and multiple U.S. Attorney’s Offices coordinated on the case, which prosecutors say illustrates the scale and persistence of the effort.
