Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of former Sinaloa drug cartel leader El Chapo, entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday in response to a multitude of charges connected to one of the largest illegal drug operations in the world, according to prosecutors.
Clad in an orange jumpsuit without handcuffs, Guzman Lopez entered his plea in Chicago federal court during a brief 10-minute hearing before US District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman.The judge subsequently ordered him to remain in detention until his trial commences. If found guilty of the charges brought against him, Guzman Lopez may face the death penalty.
Guzman Lopez was apprehended in an operation allegedly orchestrated by Washington without Mexico’s involvement, resulting in his arrest in Texas on Thursday. The presiding judge denied bail, remanded him into custody, and scheduled a case management hearing for September 30, as stated by the assistant US Attorney’s office in a statement to AFP.
Many aspects of the arrest operation, which also led to the apprehension of Ismael Zambada Garcia, known as “El Mayo,” a co-founder of the cartel, and his subsequent transfer to US custody, remain unclear. Zambada has also pleaded not guilty and has been remanded in custody.
According to US law enforcement sources cited by media outlets, Zambada was unknowingly lured across the Mexico border by Guzman Lopez, one of El Chapo’s four sons. A US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) report released in May suggests that the sons were engaged in an “internal battle” against Zambada, their father’s former partner.
Court documents previously released by prosecutors reveal that a federal grand jury indicted Guzman Lopez on charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapons offenses. CNN reported that Jeffrey Lichtman, Guzman Lopez’s lawyer, informed reporters that his client faces the death penalty in the case. Lichtman did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.
Guzman Lopez, who is in his 30s, is one of El Chapo’s sons collectively known as Los Chapitos, or “The Little Chapos.” El Chapo himself was convicted of drug charges in New York in 2019 and is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison.
Anne Milgram, the DEA chief, stated that Zambada’s arrest “strikes at the heart of the cartel that is responsible for the majority of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, killing Americans from coast to coast.”
Clad in an orange jumpsuit without handcuffs, Guzman Lopez entered his plea in Chicago federal court during a brief 10-minute hearing before US District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman.The judge subsequently ordered him to remain in detention until his trial commences. If found guilty of the charges brought against him, Guzman Lopez may face the death penalty.
Guzman Lopez was apprehended in an operation allegedly orchestrated by Washington without Mexico’s involvement, resulting in his arrest in Texas on Thursday. The presiding judge denied bail, remanded him into custody, and scheduled a case management hearing for September 30, as stated by the assistant US Attorney’s office in a statement to AFP.
Many aspects of the arrest operation, which also led to the apprehension of Ismael Zambada Garcia, known as “El Mayo,” a co-founder of the cartel, and his subsequent transfer to US custody, remain unclear. Zambada has also pleaded not guilty and has been remanded in custody.
According to US law enforcement sources cited by media outlets, Zambada was unknowingly lured across the Mexico border by Guzman Lopez, one of El Chapo’s four sons. A US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) report released in May suggests that the sons were engaged in an “internal battle” against Zambada, their father’s former partner.
Court documents previously released by prosecutors reveal that a federal grand jury indicted Guzman Lopez on charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapons offenses. CNN reported that Jeffrey Lichtman, Guzman Lopez’s lawyer, informed reporters that his client faces the death penalty in the case. Lichtman did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.
Guzman Lopez, who is in his 30s, is one of El Chapo’s sons collectively known as Los Chapitos, or “The Little Chapos.” El Chapo himself was convicted of drug charges in New York in 2019 and is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison.
Anne Milgram, the DEA chief, stated that Zambada’s arrest “strikes at the heart of the cartel that is responsible for the majority of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, killing Americans from coast to coast.”
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