Ovidio Guzmán, son of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, reached an agreement with U.S. authorities regarding drug trafficking charges he faced in the Northern District of Illinois, according to U.S. court records. 'The Mouse' was considered one of the leaders of the famous Sinaloa Cartel until he was captured and extradited to the United States in 2023.
According to U.S. authorities, Ovidio and his brothers, known as 'Los Chapitos,' directed a large drug trafficking operation and 'reportedly harvested hundreds of millions of dollars in profits flooding the United States with fentanyl.'
Ovidio Guzmán López, 'El Ratón,' was arrested in Sinaloa and after being extradited on September 15, 2023, faced a hearing three days later for the reading of five charges against him, to which he pleaded not guilty. He is accused of conspiring to distribute drugs, being part of a criminal enterprise, exporting narcotics to the United States, conducting financial transactions with the proceeds of illegal activities, and unlawfully using and carrying firearms.
The Mexican Army detained Ovidio, one of the main heirs of 'El Chapo,' in January 2023 in Sinaloa during an operation that resulted in violent disturbances in various parts of the region, leading to the deaths of dozens of soldiers and organized crime members.
The detention was surprising as it occurred days before the visit to Mexico of U.S. President Joe Biden for the North America Leaders' Summit, although Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador denied any link between the two events. Last September, he was extradited to the United States, being considered one of the most wanted drug traffickers in that country due to his involvement in fentanyl trafficking.
