CHICAGO (CBS/AP) — One of the sons of former cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has started plea negotiations with federal prosecutors in Chicago.
Ovidio Guzman López is facing narcotics trafficking charges.
Prosecutors accuse Guzman López and his brothers of taking over Sinaloa cartel operations after their father’s arrest.
In April 2023, U.S. prosecutors unsealed sprawling indictments against Guzmán and his brothers, known collectively as the “Chapitos.” They laid out in detail how following their father’s extradition and eventual life sentence in the U.S., the brothers steered the cartel increasingly into synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Mexican security forces captured Guzmán López, alias “the Mouse,” in January 2023 in Culiacán, capital of Sinaloa state.
Guzman López’s hearing is set for January.
