Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of Mexican drug kingpin "El Chapo," pleaded guilty on Monday in Chicago to U.S. drug trafficking charges, after his brother entered a plea deal in July.
And for the first time, he admitted during the hearing to leading the kidnapping of elusive Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada in 2024. In an effort for leniency, he surrendered with Zambada in New Mexico after a private plane trip from Mexico.
Known in Mexico as the "Chapitos," or "little Chapos," Joaquin Guzman Lopez and brother Ovidio Guzman Lopez were among four sons charged in a 2023 indictment in Chicago that accuses them of controlling their father's empire, including through violence. The two brothers were arrested in July 2024.
The other brothers are Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, who are fugitives. A reward of $10 million has been offered by the U.S. State Department for information leading to the arrest of each of Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar.
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