Overview
- An official court minute converts Monday’s 1:30 p.m. CT session before Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman in the Northern District of Illinois into a change‑of‑plea hearing.
- Guzmán López still faces five federal counts tied to drug trafficking, organized crime and firearms after initially pleading not guilty in July 2024.
- Reporting indicates prosecutors and the defense have discussed a cooperation deal, and outlets note the death penalty is not being pursued in this case.
- The development comes after brother Ovidio Guzmán pleaded guilty in Chicago on July 11, 2025 under a cooperation agreement, and cofounder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada admitted guilt in New York on August 25, 2025.
- Guzmán López was detained on July 25, 2024 after arriving in the U.S. with Zambada; U.S. authorities also allege the Guzmán brothers oversaw about 11 meth labs in Sinaloa producing thousands of pounds monthly.