US prosecutors won’t seek death penalty for son of Mexican drug cartel leader ‘El Chapo’
May 27, 2025, 1:06 PM | Updated: 1:18 pm
Federal prosecutors won’t seek the death penalty for the son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo” if he’s convicted of multiple charges in Chicago.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros filed a one-sentence notice Friday saying he would not seek the death penalty against Joaquin Guzman Lopez. The notice did not offer any explanation.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez’s attorney, listed in online court records as Jeffrey Lichtman, said in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday that he was pleased with the decision “as it’s the correct one.”
“Joaquin and I are looking forward to resolving the charges against him,” Lichtman said.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez’s father is Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, former leader of the Sinaloa cartel. According to federal prosecutors, El Chapo smuggled mountains of cocaine and other drugs into the United States over 25 years. He was convicted in 2019 on multiple conspiracy counts and sentenced to life in a U.S. prison later that year.
Prosecutors allege Joaquin Guzman Lopez and his brother, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, ran a faction of the cartel known as the “Chapitos,” or little Chapos, that has been identified as a main exporter of fentanyl to the U.S. Prosecutors unsealed sweeping indictments in 2023 against dozens of members of the Sinaloa cartel, including the brothers.
Federal authorities arrested Joaquin Guzman Lopez and another longtime Sinaloa leader, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, in July in Texas after they landed in the U.S. on a private plane.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez has been indicted on eight counts, including money laundering, drug dealing and conspiracy to distribute drugs. He has pleaded not guilty.
Zambada has said Joaquin Guzman Lopez kidnapped him and brought him to the U.S. He faces multiple counts in federal court in New York, including international distribution of cocaine, money laundering and manufacturing drugs for illegal importation. He has pleaded not guilty.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez was arrested in Mexico in 2023 and extradited to the United States. He’s charged in federal court in Chicago with money laundering, drug and firearm offenses. He has pleaded not guilty but online court records indicate that he is scheduled to appear in court on July 9 to change his plea as part of a deal with prosecutors.
Lichtman is also representing Ovidio Guzman Lopez. He declined in an email to provide any details about an agreement.
