US will not seek death penalty in trial of El Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López

The United States government on Tuesday informed Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, that it will not seek the death penalty in the case against him in the Eastern District Court of Illinois. In July 2024, Guzmán López was at the center of one of the most significant recent events in Mexican drug trafficking when he arrived in U.S. territory by plane alongside the kingpin of kingpins, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. After being arrested, Guzmán López pleaded not guilty to the five federal charges against him.

Things changed for Guzmán López starting in January. Represented in court by attorney Jeffrey Lichtman — the same lawyer who defended El Chapo during his 2018 trial — Guzmán López avoided appearing in person before Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman. Prosecutor Andrew Boutros said he needed more time to prepare for the hearing, the first clear sign that a possible plea deal was in the works. This development came amid speculation that Guzmán López had kidnapped El Mayo to hand him over to the U.S. government.

Guzmán López assumed control of the Sinaloa Cartel following his father’s capture and sentencing. Power is shared with his brother Ovidio Guzmán López, who is also awaiting trial in the United States, and with his older half-brothers, Iván Guzmán Salazar and Alfredo Guzmán Salazar. Their faction is known as Los Chapitos.

Clashes between this group and Zambada’s cell have brought months of violence and terror to the Mexican state of Sinaloa. This past weekend, the Mexican army killed one of Guzmán’s security chiefs, Jorge Humberto Figueroa Benítez, known as “El Perris,” in an operation in Navolato. He had taken part in the plan that led to El Mayo’s handover to the U.S. government.

Since his surrender, Joaquín Guzmán López has avoided appearing before the judge in the Chicago court. With every communication from his lawyers, speculation grows that the time has been used to negotiate with U.S. authorities — especially because his brother Ovidio’s legal process has unfolded in a similar fashion. The Mexican government recently confirmed that U.S. authorities allowed 17 family members of the Guzmán López clan to enter the country. The Department of Justice has remained silent on the matter.

Lichtman informed Judge Johnson Coleman some months ago that his client also faces a criminal case in the Southern District of New York — the epicenter of trials against Mexican drug traffickers, including the ongoing case against El Mayo Zambada. “The defendant and the government are exploring a possible global resolution,” states one of the court documents in the case.

Last April, another court date change was announced. The next time Joaquín Guzmán López is scheduled to appear before Judge Johnson Coleman in federal court will be June 2. Further changes to the date are not ruled out. Meanwhile, his brother Ovidio is expected to change his initial not guilty plea to guilty in a hearing on July 9. That day may bring new revelations about the judicial future of Los Chapitos, who have been identified by the U.S. government as the main traffickers of fentanyl into the country.

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