In a twist worthy of a thriller, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of infamous drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman, is poised for his first court appearance in the U.S. this Tuesday. His arrest last week was nothing short of cinematic: Guzman Lopez turned his father’s old ally, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, into a reluctant traveler for U.S. authorities.
Guzman Lopez, along with his brothers—dubbed the “Chapitos”—was indicted in 2023 on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. They assumed control of the Sinaloa Cartel following El Chapo’s 2017 extradition to the U.S. El Chapo himself, serving a life sentence in Colorado, remains a central figure in this ongoing saga.
The dramatic turn of events unfolded near El Paso, Texas, where Guzman Lopez, in his late 30s, and Zambada were taken into custody. U.S. officials report that Guzman Lopez lured Zambada onto a plane under false pretenses, ostensibly for a real estate scouting mission. Instead, the plane flew them straight to the U.S., where Guzman Lopez had planned to surrender, but Zambada was caught off guard.
Zambada, in his seventies and a founding member of the Sinaloa Cartel, has entered a not guilty plea to drug charges in El Paso federal court. His defense attorney, Frank Perez, has challenged the narrative, claiming Zambada was kidnapped. Guzman Lopez’s attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, refrained from commenting on the kidnapping claim, suggesting that Zambada is entitled to mount his own defense.
As investigations continue, Mexico is probing the circumstances surrounding the arrest. Meanwhile, Guzman Lopez’s brothers—Ovidio, Ivan, and Alfredo—remain entangled in their own legal battles, with Ovidio already extradited and pleading not guilty, while Ivan and Alfredo are still at large.
The Guzman family’s influence over the Sinaloa Cartel persists, now intensified by their embrace of fentanyl, which has fueled the opioid crisis across the U.S.
