El Chapo's son pleads not guilty in high-stakes US drug case

Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of convicted drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, pleaded not guilty to U.S. drug charges on Tuesday. His arraignment came just five days after a dramatic arrest near El Paso, Texas, which involved the alleged delivery of his father’s former partner, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, to U.S. authorities.

Guzman Lopez appeared in a Chicago federal court wearing an orange jumpsuit but notably without handcuffs. The brief hearing lasted around ten minutes before U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, who ordered Guzman Lopez to remain detained pending his trial. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

Indicted in 2023 alongside his three brothers—collectively known as the “Chapitos”—Guzman Lopez is charged with drug trafficking and money laundering.

The indictment alleges that the brothers assumed control of their father’s Sinaloa Cartel following El Chapo’s extradition to the United States in 2017. El Chapo is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison in Colorado for multiple murder and drug-related charges.

During the hearing, Guzman Lopez answered questions in English, responding simply with “Yes, your honor” or “No, your honour.”

The courtroom was filled with onlookers, including members of the U.S. Marshals Service, as the proceedings unfolded. While no trial date was set, the next court appearance is scheduled for September 30.

Details surrounding Guzman Lopez’s arrest remain unclear, but U.S. officials reported that he allegedly tricked Zambada into boarding a plane in Mexico under the pretense of looking at real estate. Instead, the flight transported them to the U.S., where Guzman Lopez intended to surrender, a plan Zambada was reportedly unaware of. Zambada’s attorney, Frank Perez, contended that Guzman Lopez “forcibly kidnapped” his client, a claim Guzman Lopez’s lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, dismissed as unfounded.

As the legal proceedings unfold, Mexico has launched an investigation into the circumstances of the arrest, further complicating the situation. Meanwhile, Guzman Lopez’s brother, Ovidio Guzman, was extradited last year and has also pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges. The remaining brothers, Ivan and Alfredo Guzman Salazar, are still at large.

U.S. authorities assert that the “Chapitos” have revitalized their father’s drug empire, particularly through the distribution of fentanyl, which has fueled a public health crisis in the United States. The recent arrests of Guzman Lopez, Ovidio Guzman, and Zambada represent significant victories for U.S. law enforcement and may reshape the dynamics of organized crime in Mexico.