Overview

• Ovidio Guzmán López pleaded guilty on July 11 in Chicago federal court to racketeering, fentanyl trafficking, money laundering and firearms charges.
• Under his plea agreement, Guzmán will avoid a jury trial and seek a reduced prison term by cooperating with U.S. prosecutors.
• The U.S. designated his faction, Los Chapitos, as a terrorist organization for smuggling large volumes of highly addictive fentanyl into the United States.
• Former DEA official Mike Vigil said Guzmán’s cooperation could yield crucial insights into the Sinaloa Cartel’s leadership and smuggling networks.
• Sentencing is scheduled in the coming months and could influence ongoing U.S.–Mexico efforts to curb cross-border opioid trafficking.