El Chapo's Son Pleads Guilty to US Drug Trafficking Charges, Exposes Abduction of Sinaloa Cartel Leader

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In a shocking revelation, Joaquín Guzmán López, the 39-year-old son of former Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking and continuing criminal enterprise in a federal court in Chicago. As part of his plea agreement, US prosecutors shared details of a brazen abduction that took place in July 2024. According to court testimony, armed men entered through a window to ambush Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, the most elusive leader of the Sinaloa cartel. Zambada was then loaded onto a plane, drugged, and flown to the United States. The operation was allegedly orchestrated by Guzmán López, who had a history of cooperation with the US authorities. The plea agreement sheds light on the events surrounding Zambada's arrest, which sparked a bloody fight among Sinaloa cartel factions for control of the business. Mexico's Attorney General's Office is now studying the possibility of bringing treason charges against Guzmán López or those who aided in the plot. Guzmán López's defense attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, expects his client to avoid life in prison as part of the plea deal. The arrest of both Guzmán López and Zambada by US authorities had previously angered Mexico's then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who suspected US involvement. Washington denied any involvement, but experts questioned the feasibility of the operation without US authorities' knowledge. The case raises questions about the complex web of relationships between Mexican cartels and US authorities, as well as the implications of Guzmán López's plea deal on the ongoing cartel violence in Mexico.