The hearing of Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán and a prominent member of the criminal group Los Chapitos, facing charges of drug trafficking and money laundering, was postponed to June 2 in a federal court in Chicago, Illinois. Initially scheduled for April 18, the rescheduling involved an agreement between the parties involved in the legal process.
Joaquín Guzmán López, also known as 'El Güero', is incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, while Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, another leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, was transferred to New York to face his own charges. Both were arrested at an airport in New Mexico, United States, traveling on a small plane from Sonora, Mexico.
The capture of Zambada, who evaded authorities for over five decades, was considered a significant blow to organized crime in Mexico. Although the operation was labeled successful, contradictions arose regarding the Mexican government's collaboration in the arrest. 'El Mayo's' lawyer claimed that his client was deceived by Guzmán López and transferred to U.S. territory in a planned delivery.
Despite pleading 'not guilty', Guzmán López is proceeding with his case in the U.S. judicial system, where he and his brother Ovidio Guzmán López, also known as 'El Ratón', are cooperating as protected witnesses. The arrest of Joaquín Guzmán López took place on July 25, 2024, during a joint operation that also resulted in the capture of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada.
