United States federal court documents released on Friday stated that a son of jailed Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman will enter a guilty plea to drug trafficking charges next week.
One of the four sons of the infamous Sinaloa cartel boss ‘El Chapo’, Joaquin Guzman Lopez initially entered a not guilty plea following his arrest in Texas in July 2024.
However, Guzman Lopez will alter his plea at a hearing scheduled for Monday at the US District Court in Chicago, according to federal documents released on Friday.
In July 2025, Ovidio Guzman, one of his three brothers, entered a guilty plea to two charges of participation in the activities of a criminal enterprise and conspiracy linked to drug trafficking as part of a plea agreement reached in exchange for a reduced sentence.
Ovidio Guzman also acknowledged that after their father was arrested in 2016, he and his brothers, collectively referred to as “Los Chapitos” or Little Chapos, took over their father’s cartel operations.
Guzman Lopez’s guilty plea may indicate that “a new chapter in the history of drug trafficking is about to be written,” according to Mexican broadcaster MVS Noticias.
“This move has raised numerous questions about the possible ongoing negotiations between him and US authorities,” the media outlet said.
According to ABC 7 Chicago, federal prosecutors have stated that they will no longer pursue Guzman Lopez’s execution and that “there is talk of a plea deal now in the works.”
He is scheduled to appear in Chicago court on Monday at 1:30 p.m. (19:30 GMT).
Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, two additional ‘Chapitos’ brothers, are still at large despite being charged with drug trafficking in the US.
‘El Chapo’, their 68-year-old father, was arrested and convicted in 2019 and is currently serving a life term at a supermax federal prison in Colorado.
Last year, Guzman Lopez and Ismael “Mayo” Zambada, a cofounder of the Sinaloa cartel, were arrested upon arriving in Texas aboard a small private aircraft.
Zambada claimed he was kidnapped by Guzman Lopez and forced to turn himself in to US authorities against his will after being deceived about the location.
Clashes between two Sinaloa cartel factions, led by Zambada and the ‘Los Chapitos’ brothers, escalated after the arrest. According to official statistics, the infighting caused about 1,200 deaths and 1,400 disappearances in Mexico.
The Sinaloa cartel is accused by US officials of exporting fentanyl into the US, where it has strained ties with Mexico by causing tens of thousands of overdose deaths in recent years.
Additionally, US President Donald Trump has classified six Mexican drug trafficking organisations as international terrorist organisations, including the Sinaloa cartel.
In June, Washington issued more sanctions against the two fugitive ‘Los Chapitos’ brothers for trafficking in fentanyl and raised the reward for their capture to $10 million each.