In a Chicago courtroom on Tuesday, Joaquin Guzman Lopez – one of the “Chapitos” and a son of the infamous Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman – pleaded guilty to running an international trafficking operation that funneled fentanyl and massive amounts of other drugs into America.
The 39-year-old admitted to one count of drug conspiracy and one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. The charges carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and could potentially lead to a life sentence for the former cartel leader.
The Department of Justice now reports that he helped oversee shipments that included more than 36 kilograms of fentanyl, 90 kilograms of heroin, 450 kilograms of cocaine, 45 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana.
As part of the plea agreement, Guzman Lopez will forfeit $80 million in profits connected to cartel operations. He has been held in U.S. custody since July 2024, as previously reported by The Dallas Express, when he was arrested after some internal turmoil among the Sinaloa Cartel’s members.
DOJ leaders said the case reflects a new push to target the organizations responsible for mass fentanyl trafficking, which has contributed to record overdose deaths across the country.
“Under the Chapitos’ leadership, the Sinaloa Cartel has fueled the deadliest drug crisis in our nation’s history, manufacturing poison and profiting from the destruction of American lives,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “Joaquin Guzmán Lopez’s guilty plea marks another blow to the cartel’s ruthless operations.”
The DOJ further described Guzman Lopez as a central figure in the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, which took control of major cartel operations after El Chapo’s arrest in 2016 and life sentence in 2019.
Working alongside his brothers Ivqn Archivaldo, Jeses Alfredo, and Ovidio, he helped expand the cartel’s fentanyl production, as well as their drug and human trafficking routes. Federal prosecutors said the group used tunnels, boats, rail lines, aircraft, and an extensive web of bribery and violence to push continuous waves of drugs into America.
The Chapitos became infamous for their ruthless, bloody guerrilla warfare tactics inside Mexico.
Past reports from DX detail how an alleged betrayal involving cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada triggered a violent split within the organization. The conflict left more than 1,300 people dead and about 1,500 missing.
Guzman Lopez’s guilty plea comes shortly after his brother Ovidio entered his own plea in the same Chicago courthouse on similar trafficking and money-laundering charges. However, Federal prosecutors say that two more Chapitos leaders remain fugitives: Ivan Archivaldo and Jesus Alfredo Guzmán Salazar. The U.S. State Department continues to offer a $10 million bounty for information leading to their capture, as previously reported by DX.
Prosecutors also revealed that Guzman Lopez admitted involvement in a separate international kidnapping case. However, they said that acknowledging involvement in that case would not reduce any future sentence.
For Texas, the case comes at a time when federal authorities report declines in illegal border crossings and increases in drug seizures compared with 2024. Yet, despite recent arrests, the Sinaloa Cartel remains active across North America, including in Texas.
Sentencing for Guzmán López has not yet been scheduled, and the search for his remaining brothers continues.
