Los Chapitos buy time in negotiations to reach a plea deal

The future of Los Chapitos remains uncertain. On Tuesday, U.S. authorities and lawyers representing Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s sons requested additional time to finalize plea agreement negotiations. During the latest hearing at the Northern District Court of Illinois in Chicago, both sides emphasized their focus on securing guilty pleas from the defendants to avoid a trial. Prosecutors expressed optimism about reaching an agreement with Ovidio Guzmán, also known as “El Ratón,” by February 27, the date of the next court hearing. However, discussions regarding Joaquín Guzmán, alias “El Güero,” are expected to take longer, with the next hearing set for March 19.

This extension prolongs the speculation over whether the two drug traffickers will engage in formal negotiations with U.S. authorities, potentially cooperating by providing information on other Mexican cartel leaders in exchange for reduced sentences or other legal benefits.

Prosecutors said that they are actively collaborating with the legal representatives of the Guzmán family and remain optimistic about reaching a plea agreement that would resolve the case without proceeding to trial. However, they noted a significant point of contention: Ovidio Guzmán also faces drug trafficking and other charges in New York. Both parties are still negotiating whether the plea deal being arranged in Illinois will also cover the New York case. In the case of Ovidio Guzmán, the critical question is whether the prosecution and defense can agree on this issue. Authorities anticipate a decision from the 34-year-old, the youngest member of Los Chapitos, within six weeks.

El Ratón, a prominent figure in the faction of the Sinaloa Cartel led by El Chapo’s sons, was apprehended in January 2023 and extradited to the United States in September of the same year.

Authorities justified a longer extension in the case of Joaquín Guzmán, 38, citing that his negotiations are more recent than those of his brother, Ovidio. Known as El Güero turned himself in on July 25 after arriving at a rural airport near El Paso. He was captured alongside Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a longtime associate of El Chapo.

Both Joaquín and Ovidio, along with their brothers Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, face charges in the United States for drug trafficking, organized crime, money laundering, and illegal firearms possession. These charges were formally announced in April 2023.

The defense team for Los Chapitos had indicated as early as October 21, following Ovidio Guzmán’s last court hearing in Chicago, that their clients were considering pleading guilty. However, neither Joaquín nor Ovidio attended the most recent hearing, despite being summoned by Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman. Their lead attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, was also absent due to scheduling conflicts, according to judicial sources consulted by EL PAÍS.

Uncertainty looms over the legal fate of El Chapo’s sons, compounded by the upcoming presidential transition in the United States under Trump — who has promised a tough approach against the cartels — and the anticipated shake-up of key federal agencies. “In 20 days, we won’t know which office is going to do what,” said Judge Coleman during the hearing. The phrase “I don’t understand anything” was also heard on a few occasions due to the technical difficulties of establishing a phone link with the Guzmáns’ lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman. The defendants were not present for the hearing and will be briefed later by their legal team, according to sources.

Meanwhile, in Mexico, Joaquín Guzmán has been accused by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) of orchestrating the kidnapping of El Mayo. He has controversially been charged with “treason” for allegedly turning Zambada over to U.S. authorities. The FGR also announced in late August that it was also investigating Ovidio Guzmán’s potential role in the alleged plot. However, the Guzmán family’s lawyers have consistently denied any conspiracy against Zambada, dismissing the accusations as baseless.

Since the scandal surrounding the fall of El Mayo, rumors of alleged betrayal within the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the world, have been circulating. Mexican authorities have even adopted this hypothesis as their main line of investigation. Following weeks of tension and fears of revenge, the two families — the Guzmán and Zambada factions — have been embroiled in an internal power struggle over control of the cartel. This conflict has fueled violence in Culiacán, the cartel’s historic stronghold in northwestern Mexico, since September.

Next week, it will be Zambada’s turn in court, with a hearing scheduled for January 15 in New York before Judge Brian Cogan, the same judge who sentenced El Chapo to life in prison. Both cases remain far from their final chapters, set against a backdrop of growing diplomatic tensions, escalating violence in Sinaloa, and Trump’s looming return to the White House on January 20.

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