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Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, has agreed to plead guilty to drug trafficking charges in the United States. According to court documents, Guzman Lopez, also known as "Raton" (Mouse), plans to settle the case by waiving his right to a trial in Illinois, where he is currently detained.
The plea hearing is scheduled for July 9 before Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, after which sentencing will occur at a later date. Guzman Lopez is accused of conspiring to ship cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana into the United States through a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, known as Los Chapitos, which he leads with his brothers.
The Sinaloa Cartel, founded by his father, has been designated a global "terrorist" organization by the Trump administration due to its involvement in the opioid epidemic linked to numerous deaths in the United States. Guzman Lopez was extradited to the U.S. in 2023 to face these charges, joining his father, who is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.
The cartel's activities have sparked violence in Mexico, with infighting leading to over 1,200 deaths and 1,400 missing persons in Sinaloa state. Recently, authorities discovered 20 bodies, some decapitated, on a highway bridge in a region where cartel factions are clashing.