Federal prosecutors in Chicago issued a one-sentence notice on May 23 to say they would not seek the death penalty for Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the feared Sinaloa Cartel leader who is currently serving a life sentence in a US prison.
The notice did not provide any additional information or justification for the federal prosecutor’s decision.
After assuming control of their father’s drug cartel when “El Chapo” was extradited to the US in 2017, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 38, and three of his brothers, known as the “Chapitos,” or little Chapos, were indicted in 2023 on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.
The attorney for Joaquin Guzman Lopez stated in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday that he was pleased with the federal prosecutor’s decision because it was “the correct one.”
According to Lichtman, “Joaquin and I are looking forward to resolving the charges against him.”
One of the five drug trafficking, conspiracy, and money laundering charges against Joaquin Guzman Lopez, who allegedly carried out the alleged operation on US soil, resulted in the maximum death sentence.
On a New Mexico airport, he was detained alongside alleged Sinaloa Cartel cofounder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in a dramatic arrest in July of 2024.
Zambada also entered a not-guilty plea. However, his attorney informed the Reuters news agency that if the prosecution decided to spare him the death penalty, he would agree to plead guilty.
Ovidio Guzman, another of the brothers, is scheduled to enter a plea deal with drug trafficking charges against him on July 9 in a court hearing in Chicago, according to court records.
Source: Aljazeera
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