El Chapo Son Ovidio Guzman Lopez Pleads 'Not Guilty' to Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Charges

By Rick Martin Sep 18 2023, 22:50 PM EDT

Notorious El Chapo son and one of the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, appeared in a US court for the first time to face drug trafficking and money laundering charges. He entered a "not guilty" plea to all the charges US authorities laid against him.

As Latin Post previously reported, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, one of the feared members of Los Chapitos, the group of four of El Chapo's most favored sons, was recently extradited to the US from Mexico. He was arrested in Sinaloa state last January, though it resulted in the city of Culiacan being besieged by elements of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The indictments against the notorious drug lord, also known as "El Raton," stated that he and his brothers led the Sinaloa Cartel soon after his father was extradited and sentenced to life in prison in the US. Together, the brothers "steered the cartel increasingly into synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and the powerful opioid fentanyl."

Ovidio reportedly entered the "not guilty" plea through a translator during his 15-minute arraignment last Monday. According to the Associated Press, he stood before US District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman inside a federal courthouse in Chicago, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and matching orange slippers.

He was treated as a high-value prisoner and had his legs shackled at the ankles to prevent his escape. His father, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, was infamous for his daring escapes from prison.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez reportedly answered Judge Johnson Coleman's questions "softly and politely" and presented himself to contrast his bloody reputation for extreme violence. He had been known to order the executions of several individuals who got in the Sinaloa Cartel's way.

El Chapo Son Ovidio Guzman Lopez Faces Charges in Chicago, New York, and Washington DC

ABC 7 Chicago reported that soon after he was extradited into the United States, the El Chapo son and Sinaloa Cartel boss, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, was immediately flown to Chicago to face his charges. However, he is also facing charges in New York and Washington DC.

Guzman, considered one of the most wanted men in the US, had been wanted in the country since 2019 as he was one of the Sinaloa Cartel leaders who had been heading the production of fentanyl and shipping the opioids to the US. He was arrested in January ahead of President Joe Biden's visit to Mexico.

El Chapo Son Ovidio Guzman Lopez Extradition Was Faster Than Expected

Normally, extradition takes around two years, sometimes even more. However, it took only about nine months to extradite Ovidio Guzman Lopez from Mexico to the US.

Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration, spoke with the El Paso Times and stated that it may have been the Mexican government that facilitated the extradition. The reason for this was because "El Raton" has such a high profile, and the Sinaloa Cartel leader's attorneys were already filing numerous appeals to delay his extradition.

"This happened quicker than normal," said the former DEA officer. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall said in a statement that the quick extradition was a "testament to the significance of the ongoing cooperation between the American and Mexican governments on countering narcotics and other vital challenges." She then thanked the Mexican government for their cooperation. It was noted that Sherwood-Randall made multiple visits to Mexico this year and even met with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: El Chapo's son, Ovidio Guzmán López, pleads not guilty to drug, money laundering charges in Chicago - ABC 7 Chicago