Son of El Chapo Pleads Not Guilty to Drug and Money Laundering Charges in Chicago Court

Security was heightened at the federal courthouse in Chicago as Joaquín Guzman Lopez, the son of notorious Mexican drug lord El Chapo, appeared before Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman at the Dirksen Federal Building. Guzman Lopez, 38, pleaded not guilty to five charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering. The maximum penalty for one of the charges is death.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Erskine presented the charges against Guzman Lopez, while defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman represented him in court. Lichtman stated that his client did not kidnap Ismael Zambada, also known as “El Mayo,” and denied any involvement in a deal with the government.

El Chapo, once the leader of the Sinaloa cartel and a prominent figure in the global drug trade, was recently sentenced to life in prison. Guzman Lopez’s surrender to U.S. authorities in El Paso, Texas, last week led to the arrest of El Mayo, who allegedly assumed control of the cartel after El Chapo’s conviction.

The Sinaloa cartel, co-founded by El Chapo and El Mayo, has long dominated drug sales in Chicago. Federal authorities have accused Zambada and Guzman Lopez of leading the cartel’s criminal operations, including fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks.

Gil Soffer, legal analyst for ABC7 Chicago, described this case as significant for federal prosecutors, highlighting the complexity and intrigue surrounding the capture of cartel leaders. He emphasized the importance of this achievement for the Department of Justice (DOJ), which has been pursuing the leaders of the Sinaloa cartel for years.

Zambada, one of the DEA’s most wanted fugitives, entered a not guilty plea to all charges in El Paso on Friday. Guzman Lopez is scheduled to appear in court again on September 30.