The sons of drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman are reportedly in talks to cut a plea deal with US prosecutors. Ovidio Guzman, along with his brother Joaquin Guzman Lopez, are accused of running the Sinaloa cartel that their father once led. The brothers, along with two other siblings in Mexico, form the “El Chapitos” faction of the cartel. Their father is serving a life sentence for drug conspiracy in a US prison. The reported plea talks come after one of the brothers was arrested in July at a Texas airport along with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a rival cartel leader who has been described as a dangerous drug trafficker.
Zambada’s lawyer claims his client was kidnapped and forced onto a plane to Texas where US authorities were waiting. Mexican prosecutors have filed kidnapping charges against Joaquin Guzman Lopez, suggesting he smuggled Zambada into the US to try to get leniency for his jailed brother, Ovidio. Experts believe the Guzman sons could provide valuable evidence in the case against Zambada and potential corruption investigations in Mexico. The possibility of implicating Mexican federal government officials, military, and police in drug trafficking transfers has been raised. Former public security chief, Genaro Garcia Luna, was recently sentenced to jail in New York.
Lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman, who represents both jailed Guzman brothers, stated that plea talks with the US justice system are in progress. He clarified that the sons are facing separate cases and it is not a package deal. Assistant US Attorney Andrew Erskine mentioned that both sides aim to resolve Ovidio’s case before trial and expect progress by the next hearing in January. DEA chief Anne Milgram highlighted the importance of Zambada’s arrest in targeting the cartel responsible for drug-related deaths in the US.
Following the arrests of the Guzman Lopez and Zambada, a cartel war erupted in Sinaloa state, resulting in daily shootouts and casualties. State prosecutor Claudia Sanchez reported 72 deaths and 209 kidnappings due to the ongoing violence. The local newspaper El Debate, covering the conflict, was targeted in a shooting incident on October 18. The Sinaloa cartel is notorious for its brutality against enemies, including law enforcement and journalists. US Attorney General Merrick Garland cited cases of torture and violence by the cartel, such as experiments with fentanyl on victims and feeding individuals to tigers.
The situation in Sinaloa has escalated with the arrests of key cartel figures, leading to internal conflicts and violence. The possibility of plea deals involving the Guzman sons suggests a potential shift in the dynamics of the drug trade and law enforcement efforts. The impact of cooperation agreements on corruption investigations in Mexico remains to be seen. The ongoing cartel war and its repercussions underscore the challenges faced by authorities in combating organized crime. The outcome of the Guzman sons’ negotiations with US prosecutors could have far-reaching implications for the criminal justice system and efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks.
