Ovidio Guzman Lopez: Guilty Plea in Landmark Sinaloa Cartel Case

Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, entered a guilty plea on Friday to four criminal charges in two U.S. drug trafficking cases. The charges tie him to the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, which he and his siblings have allegedly rejuvenated post their father's 2016 arrest by massively distributing fentanyl in the U.S.

Lopez, known as 'El Raton,' was extradited from Mexico in September 2023 as part of a federal operations clampdown on fentanyl trafficking which is blamed for nearly 200 American deaths daily in 2023. His brother Joaquin Guzman Lopez was apprehended alongside Sinaloa's kingpin Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada in a significant move for U.S. law enforcement. He faces charges of drug trafficking and money laundering but will not face the death penalty.

The Sinaloa Cartel's leadership saga continues with Zambada, co-founder with El Chapo, pleading not guilty though open to a plea deal if spared the death penalty. El Chapo remains imprisoned in Colorado under a life sentence post his 2019 conviction.

(With inputs from agencies.)