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El Chapo’s Son Ovidio Guzmán López to Enter Guilty Plea in Chicago

The plea sets a precedent for securing insider testimony in the multi-district prosecution of the Sinaloa Cartel.

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Ovidio Guzmán López.
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Overview

  • Under a June 30 agreement, Guzmán López will change his plea to guilty on Friday in Chicago federal court, becoming the first son of JoaquinEl Chapo” Guzmán to do so.
  • He faces charges spanning continuing criminal enterprise, fentanyl trafficking, money laundering and firearms offenses brought by federal prosecutors in multiple jurisdictions.
  • Authorities accuse him and his brother Joaquin Guzmán López of leading the “Chapitos” faction that oversaw a massive fentanyl pipeline into the United States.
  • The plea requires Guzmán López to cooperate with U.S. authorities and testify against his Sinaloa Cartel associates in exchange for recommendations for a reduced sentence.
  • His hearing was quietly moved from Wednesday to Friday after months of confidential negotiations between his defense team and federal prosecutors.