Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of imprisoned Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, has changed his plea to guilty in a major U.S. federal drug-trafficking case. The decision marks a significant shift in the U.S. government’s campaign to dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel’s leadership structure.

The plea was entered in a Chicago federal courtroom on Monday, where Guzmán López—dressed in an orange prison uniform—confirmed he would admit to drug-trafficking and organised-crime charges tied to his role in the cartel’s operations.

Guzmán López Reverses Earlier Not-Guilty Plea

Asked by Judge Sharon Coleman what his occupation had been, Guzmán López responded simply:
“Drug trafficking.”

His guilty plea is part of a negotiated deal expected to help him avoid a life sentence. Under the agreement, he will:

• Cooperate with U.S. prosecutors
• Forfeit $80 million in drug-proceeds penalties
• Accept a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
• Waive his right to appeal the sentence

Federal prosecutor Andrew Erskine confirmed the sentencing will occur at a later date.

Jeffrey Lichtman, Guzmán López’s defense attorney, said the agreement was fair and noted that “the Mexican government didn’t interfere,” referencing past U.S.–Mexico tensions over extraditions.

Plea Deal Reveals Details of Violence and Corruption

In a 35-page plea agreement, Guzmán López admitted he and his brothers used:

• High-powered weapons
• Bribery networks
• Violent enforcement squads

These tools helped expand the cartel’s power and target rival traffickers, law enforcement, and cartel insiders accused of betrayal.

Guzmán López—along with his brothers known as “Los Chapitos”—has long been accused of helping lead the Sinaloa Cartel’s newer, more aggressive faction following their father’s 2017 extradition to the U.S.

The ‘Chapitos’: A New Generation of Cartel Leaders

The four Guzmán sons—Ovidio, Joaquín, Iván Archivaldo, and Jesús Alfredo—have been central figures in U.S. prosecutions in recent years.

• Ovidio Guzmán López pleaded guilty in July to similar charges and faces a potential life term.
• The two older brothers remain fugitives.
• Their father, El Chapo, is serving a life sentence in a U.S. maximum-security prison.

In 2023, U.S. officials described the Sinaloa Cartel as responsible for trafficking enormous quantities of fentanyl into the United States.

A Dramatic Arrest: Private Plane, U.S. Airstrip, and Cartel Turmoil

Security was tightened at Chicago’s federal courthouse as prosecutors recounted Guzmán López’s 2024 capture—an arrest that stunned observers of the cartel’s long-standing power.

He and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a legendary Sinaloa Cartel boss, were detained in Texas after landing in a private aircraft. Their capture triggered violent clashes between rival factions in Sinaloa amid allegations of internal betrayal.

Guzmán López Admits to Kidnapping an Alleged Zambada Figure

One of the most striking revelations from the plea deal is Guzmán López’s admission that he orchestrated the kidnapping of an unnamed individual believed to be El Mayo Zambada himself.

Prosecutors described a striking scene:

• Guzmán López ordered a large window removed
• His men entered through the opening
• The individual was bound, hooded, sedated and taken aboard a plane
• The aircraft landed in New Mexico before the person was transferred to U.S. custody

Prosecutors said Guzmán López believed the kidnapping would be viewed as cooperation with U.S. authorities—yet the government did not sanction the abduction and will give him no credit for it in sentencing.

Zambada later wrote in a letter through his attorney that he was forcibly taken and had not surrendered voluntarily.

A Case That Reshapes the Sinaloa Cartel’s Future

The guilty plea marks another turning point in the U.S. push to dismantle one of the world’s most powerful drug-trafficking organisations.

With two “Chapitos” in custody and two still at large, the Sinaloa Cartel faces growing internal fragmentation—while the U.S. government moves to extract intelligence from its newly captured high-ranking figures.