In a dramatic turn of events in Chicago’s Dirksen Federal Courthouse, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, pleaded guilty to sweeping drug trafficking charges on December 1, 2025. The admission, which stunned courtroom observers and sent ripples through law enforcement circles on both sides of the border, marks a significant chapter in the ongoing saga of the Sinaloa cartel and the U.S. government’s relentless pursuit of its leaders.
Guzman Lopez, 39, known as one of the “Chapitos” or “little Chapos” in Mexico, faced the judge shackled at the ankles and clad in an orange jumpsuit. He didn’t mince words when asked by U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman about his occupation over the past five years. “Drug trafficking,” he replied, prompting a surprised chuckle from the judge and a ripple of laughter in the courtroom, as reported by ABC7 Chicago and Associated Press.
The charges against Guzman Lopez are grave: he admitted to two counts—drug trafficking conspiracy and engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. According to federal prosecutors, Guzman Lopez, alongside his brothers, oversaw the importation and distribution of “staggering” quantities of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl, into the United States. Much of this illicit cargo was smuggled through sophisticated underground tunnels, fueling an opioid crisis that claims tens of thousands of American lives each year, as highlighted by Sky News and AP.
But the courtroom drama didn’t stop at drug trafficking. Guzman Lopez also confessed to orchestrating a brazen kidnapping plot targeting Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a longtime Sinaloa cartel leader and his father’s former partner. The details, laid out in the plea agreement and echoed across multiple outlets, read like a scene from a Hollywood thriller: Guzman Lopez lured Zambada to a meeting in Sinaloa, Mexico, had the glass removed from a floor-to-ceiling window, and locked the door. Henchmen then entered through the open window, handcuffed Zambada, placed a bag over his head, and spirited him away to a waiting pickup truck. The group drove roughly ten to fifteen minutes to an airstrip, where Zambada was loaded onto a small plane, zip tied, and sedated for a flight to New Mexico.
Guzman Lopez admitted in court that the kidnapping was an audacious attempt to curry favor with U.S. authorities, hoping the delivery of “El Mayo” would earn him and his brother “cooperation credit” and a lighter sentence. However, both the prosecution and the defense made clear that no such credit would be awarded for the abduction, and the U.S. government did not sanction the act. “He will not receive cooperation credit for the kidnapping, nor will his brother,” the plea deal explicitly states, as reported by Chicago Sun-Times and AP.
The repercussions of the July 2024 arrests of Guzman Lopez and Zambada were immediate and violent. Their capture triggered a spike in violence in northern Mexico, as rival factions within the Sinaloa cartel clashed for supremacy. The brothers, collectively known as the Chapitos, had already seized control of the cartel following their father’s 2019 conviction and life sentence in the U.S., consolidating their grip through brutal violence. Authorities allege the Chapitos not only trafficked drugs but also tortured enemies—electrocuting, waterboarding, and even feeding them alive to tigers kept as pets on ranches, according to Chicago Sun-Times reporting.
Monday’s hearing was conducted under tight security. Observers were instructed to turn off electronic devices, and police dogs swept the courthouse lobby. Guzman Lopez answered questions from Judge Coleman in English, candidly discussing his high blood pressure, thyroid issues, and anxiety for which he is taking medication.
Guzman Lopez’s plea deal is a pivotal moment in the U.S. government’s campaign against the Sinaloa cartel. The charges to which he pleaded guilty typically carry a life sentence, but the agreement opens the door for a reduced term—potentially as little as ten years—if he fully cooperates with federal prosecutors in Chicago, California, and Washington, D.C. “My expectation is the government will make a motion for reduction of sentencing guidelines,” defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman told reporters, as quoted by ABC7 Chicago. “The government has been very fair with Joaquin thus far.” Lichtman also expressed appreciation that “the Mexican government didn’t interfere.”
Still, the possibility of a reduced sentence has drawn criticism from some in law enforcement. Jack Riley, retired head of the Chicago DEA, voiced concerns to ABC7 Chicago: “I think we’ve got to send a bigger message, and I would hope we’d be able to do that.” Riley questioned whether a ten-year sentence would be sufficient, given the scale of Guzman Lopez’s crimes and the sophisticated communication networks the cartel employs. “In any criminal organization that’s operating in foreign countries, communication is crucial. How do they communicate with their surrogates in Chicago and around the U.S.? And the minute that he was arrested, those systems went dark and were regenerated with information that we don’t know about.”
The plea deal also bars Guzman Lopez from appealing his eventual sentence, a point made clear by federal attorney Andrew Erskine in court. As part of the agreement, Guzman Lopez has promised to cooperate with investigations into cartel operations, a move that could yield critical intelligence for ongoing cases.
The saga of the Guzman family is one of the most notorious in recent criminal history. Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the patriarch, was sentenced to life in prison in 2019 after a dramatic trial in New York, following decades at the helm of the Sinaloa cartel. He famously escaped from a Mexican prison in 2015 through a mile-long tunnel, only to be recaptured and extradited to the U.S. His sons, including Ovidio Guzman Lopez—who pleaded guilty to similar charges in July 2025—have inherited his criminal empire, perpetuating the cycle of violence and drug trafficking that has plagued both Mexico and the U.S.
As Guzman Lopez awaits his next status hearing, scheduled for June 2026, the outcome of his cooperation and the final sentence he receives will be closely watched. The case underscores the complexities and international reach of the war on drugs, the shifting dynamics within the Sinaloa cartel, and the ongoing struggle to bring its leaders to justice. For now, the courtroom confession of a kingpin’s son marks both a symbolic victory and a sobering reminder of the challenges that remain.