US prosecutors said in a court filing that they will not seek the death penalty for Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of convicted Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, if he is convicted on drug trafficking charges.
In a court filing dated May 23, federal prosecutors in Chicago did not provide any explanation of the decision or any further details.
Guzman Lopez was indicted in 2023 along with three of his brothers – known as the “Chapitos”, or little Chapos – on US drug trafficking and money laundering charges involving their assumption of leadership of their father’s Sinaloa Cartel after his 2017 extradition to the United States.
‘Pleased With The Decision’
Guzman Lopez has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, said in a statement, “We’re obviously pleased with the decision as it’s the correct one. Joaquin and I are looking forward to resolving the charges against him.”
Guzman Lopez is next due to appear in federal court in Chicago on June 2.
Brother Expected To Plead Guilty
One of Guzman Lopez’s brothers, Ovidio Guzman, is expected to plead guilty to drug trafficking charges against him at a court hearing in Chicago on July 9, court records showed earlier this month.
Guzman was extradited to the US in 2023 and had originally pleaded not guilty to fentanyl trafficking charges.
Dramatic Arrest
Guzman Lopez was taken into US custody in a dramatic July 2024 arrest alongside alleged Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada on a New Mexico airfield. The operation was a major coup for US law enforcement.
Zambada has also pleaded not guilty. In February, his lawyer told Reuters he would be willing to plead guilty if prosecutors agreed to spare him the death penalty.
The elder Guzman is serving a life sentence at a maximum security prison in Colorado after his 2019 drug trafficking conviction.
(With inputs from Reuters)
