Ovidio Guzmán López, one of the sons of top drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, is negotiating a plea deal with U.S. authorities, his lawyer announced on Monday.
Speaking outside a courthouse in Chicago, Guzmán's Lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman said the ongoing negotiations are "not really surprising because it happens in all cases."
Both the prosecutor's office and the defense requested more time to judge Sharon Coleman to reach an agreement and avoid holding a trial. The next hearing in the case will take place on January 7.
Lichtman told Noticias Telemundo that so so far no agreement has been made. The outlet detailed that Guzmán, also known as "El Ratón" (The Mouse) had chains around his ankles and and orange jumpsuit, as well as glasses and earbuds. He spoke with the judge through an interpreter.
Guzmán was first captured in October 2019 during a chaotic event known as the "Culiacanazo," where Mexican authorities briefly detained him but released him to prevent further bloodshed.
He was recaptured in January 2023 by Mexican authorities in Sinaloa. He was extradited to the U.S. in September of that year and accused of several crimes in three different districts, including drug-trafficking and money laundering. Authorities detailed that he took over the Sinaloa Cartel after his father was arrested. Guzmán pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Rumors about Ovidio Guzmán's legal fate abound after his brother Joaquín Guzmán López turned himself in and managed to hand over Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada to American authorities in July this year. The main theory is that he did so in exchange to get his brother transferred out of prison.
Moreover, Mexican prosecutors announced their intention to press charges against Joaquín Guzmán López for the apparent kidnapping of Zambada. In this context, authorities said "an arrest warrant has been prepared" for Guzmán, who is under the custody of U.S. authorities since late July.
"The link between the (custody) status of Ovidio 'G,' the participation of his brother Joaquín in the presumed kidnapping of Ismael (Zambada)... are the main areas of focus of the investigation," Mexican prosecutors said in September, hinting at the link between the developments.
Many speculated that Guzmán had entered the U.S. Witness Protection Program under the custody of the U.S. Marshals, something that could have meant a substantial shift in the prosecution's approach towards dismantling the cartel's remaining power structures. However, him appearing before the court disputes the version.
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