Son of infamous drug lord El Chapo who has cheeky nickname says 2 words in court
The son of infamous drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán, the billionaire head of the Sinaloa drug cartel, appeared in court for the first time since his extradition to the US last week and pleaded not guilty to several federal charges.
Ovideo Guzmán López was captured in Caliacuan, the capital of Mexico's Sinaloa state, by the Mexican authorities in January, then extradited last Friday to Chicago to face accusations of money laundering and drug trafficking and a slew of other charges, which are outlined in a series of indictments unsealed in April.
The court documents accuses Guzmán López, who is known as "the Mouse," and 27 other cartel members, including his brothers, the "Chapitos," of driving the cartel toward the production and selling of fentanyl and methamphetamines, powerful synthetic drugs that have taken the US by storm in recent years, leading to what many experts are referring to as the "fourth wave" in the opioid epidemic.
Ovidio Guzmán López is nicknamed "the Mouse" for his small stature — but the 33-year-old is also known for his violence (FBI/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)Much of said synthetic drugs were produced and shipped out of Calicuan, the documents allege, where the Sinaloa cartel has historically based its operations. The indictments argue that the newer drugs became the focus of the cartel's business after the Chapitos' father, El Chapo, was arrested and sentenced to life in prison in the US in 2019, at which time the Chapitos, including the Mouse, took over the cartel.
On Monday, the short, small 33-year-old appeared before US District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman in a Chicago courtroom, wearing an orange jumpsuit and slippers, his legs shackled and his hands bound. He hunched forward into the microphone placed before him and pleaded not guilty via a translator.
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The entire ordeal was over in about 15 minutes, and Guzmán López remained calm, almost peaceful, throughout it — a sharp contrast to the violence that left 30 dead during his arrest in January. A gunfight broke out in Calicuan between the Mexican authorities and the cartel, which involved a few Black Hawk helicopters and mounted .50-caliber machine guns on cartel trucks.
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán was arrested and given life in prison in the US in 2019 (AFP via Getty Images)Both military and civilian aircraft were later hit by flying bullets at the airport, but the authorities were able to secure the accused and make their getaway. They didn't have the same success years earlier in a different attempt that also led to widespread violence.
A large security detail filled the courtroom on Monday during the arraignment, which ended with Coleman setting Guzmán López's next court date as November 17.
It remains unclear what penalties the Mouse will actually face when it comes time for sentencing, but of the five charges against him, many carry life sentences as their maximum penalty. Engaging in an illegal enterprise as a leader carries a mandatory life sentence, while money laundering has a maximum sentence of just 20 years.
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