Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel leader Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzman, has pleaded not guilty to multiple serious charges in a U.S. court. His arrest, which took place in Texas last Thursday, is reported to have been orchestrated by U.S. authorities without Mexican involvement.
Guzman Lopez, who faces charges connected to one of the world's most significant illicit narcotics operations, was denied bail by the judge and has been remanded in custody. A case management hearing is scheduled for September 30, according to a statement from the assistant U.S. Attorney's office.
The circumstances surrounding his arrest remain somewhat unclear. It has been reported that Ismael Zambada Garcia, a co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel also known as "El Mayo," was detained along with Guzman Lopez. U.S. media sources suggest that Zambada might have been lured across the Mexican border by Guzman Lopez as part of a complex operation.
In May, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released a report indicating that the Guzman sons were involved in an internal conflict with Zambada, who was formerly a partner in their father's criminal empire. Guzman Lopez has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a range of charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapons violations.
CNN reported that Guzman Lopez's defense attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, has stated that his client could face the death penalty. Lichtman has emphasized that there has been "no agreement between Joaquin Guzman and the government," though he did not respond to further inquiries from AFP.
Meanwhile, Zambada's attorney, Frank Perez, has asserted that his client was "kidnapped" and brought to the U.S. against his will. Zambada, who also pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges in Texas on Friday, has another court appearance scheduled for Thursday in El Paso.
Guzman Lopez believed to be in his 30s, is one of the known members of "Los Chapitos," the collective name for El Chapo's sons. His father, El Chapo, was convicted on drug charges in New York in 2019 and is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison.
DEA chief Anne Milgram remarked that Zambada's arrest is a significant blow to the cartel, which she claims is responsible for the majority of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, that contribute to drug-related fatalities across the United States.
