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Sinaloa's quality smuggling astatine Canadian borderline
The lad of notorious Mexican cause kingpin "El Chapo" intends to plead blameworthy to cause trafficking charges successful the U.S., according to tribunal documents filed Tuesday.
Prosecutors allege Ovidio Guzman Lopez, on with his brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, ran a faction of the cartel known arsenic the "Chapitos," oregon small Chapos, that exported fentanyl to the United States. The Chapitos and their cartel associates person allegedly utilized corkscrews, electrocution and blistery chiles to torture their rivals while immoderate of their victims were "fed dormant oregon live to tigers," according to a 2023 U.S. indictment.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez's begetter is Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the erstwhile person of the Sinaloa cartel who smuggled mountains of cocaine and different drugs into the United States for implicit 25 years. "El Chapo" is present serving a beingness sentence successful a maximum information situation successful the U.S.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez was arrested successful Mexico successful 2023 and extradited to the United States. He was charged successful national tribunal successful Chicago with wealth laundering, cause and firearm offenses.
Rumors had circulated successful May that Ovidio Guzmán Lopez would plead blameworthy to debar trial.
He antecedently pleaded not guilty, but online tribunal records bespeak helium is scheduled to look successful tribunal connected July 9 to alteration his plea arsenic portion of a woody with prosecutors. Court documents filed Tuesday bespeak helium intends to plead blameworthy aft connection of a imaginable woody was disclosed during an October hearing.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez would beryllium the archetypal of the brothers to participate a plea deal.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez is besides successful U.S. custody. He and different longtime Sinaloa leader, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, were arrested successful July successful Texas aft they landed successful the U.S. connected a backstage plane. Joaquin Guzman Lopez has pleaded not blameworthy to charges including wealth laundering, cause dealing and conspiracy to administer drugs. Zambada besides pleaded not guilty. Federal prosecutors said successful May they wouldn't question the decease punishment for Joaquin Guzman Lopez if he's convicted of aggregate charges.
The woman of "El Chapo" was released from prison successful 2023 aft she was sentenced to 36 months successful situation pursuing her 2021 arrest.
The men's melodramatic seizure prompted a surge successful unit successful Mexico's bluish authorities of Sinaloa arsenic 2 factions of the Sinaloa cartel clashed.
The struggle betwixt the 2 factions, which has near much than 1,200 radical dead, pits pack members aligned with Zambada against others loyal to El Chapo and his sons, who pb a faction called the "Chapitos."
Federal prosecutors and Ovidio Guzman Lopez's attorney, listed successful online tribunal records arsenic Jeffrey Lichtman, did not instantly respond to requests for comment.
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