Son of ‘El Chapo’ expected to plead guilty in drug trafficking case in rescheduled hearing

CHICAGO (AP) — A son of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is expected to plead guilty in a sweeping U.S. drug trafficking case at a court hearing set for Friday.

The hearing for Ovidio Guzman Lopez, originally scheduled for Wednesday, was quietly rescheduled with no public explanation. Court records indicate that Guzman Lopez intends to change his not guilty plea as part of a deal with federal prosecutors.

If finalized, it would mark the first time one of El Chapo’s sons has struck such an agreement with federal prosecutors.

Speculation about a deal has been mounting for months, as behind-the-scenes negotiations have progressed quietly and slowly.

Federal prosecutors allege that Ovidio and his brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, led a powerful faction of the Sinaloa cartel. The brothers, who became known locally as Los Chapitos, are accused of overseeing a major fentanyl trafficking operation that funneled what prosecutors described as a “staggering” amount of the synthetic opioid into the United States.

Their father, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, is currently serving a life sentence in a U.S. federal prison following a 2019 conviction. After his capture, Ovidio Guzman Lopez and his siblings reportedly took on key leadership roles within the cartel.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez was arrested by Mexican authorities in early 2023 and extradited to the U.S. months later. He originally pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms charges.

His brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, and longtime cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada were arrested in Texas in 2024 after arriving on a private plane. Their high-profile capture set off a wave of violence across Sinaloa as rival factions scrambled for control.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges.