El Chapo's son Guzman Lopez faces death penalty in Sinaloa cartel crime case, pleads not guilty

Joaquin Guzman Lopez , the son of the former Sinaloa drug cartel kingpin “El Chapo”, on Tuesday (July 30),  pleaded not guilty to a spate of charges linked to one of the world’s biggest illicit narcotics operations, prosecutors said.

Guzman Lopez, one of El Chapo’s four sons, was was detained in Texas last Thursday (July 25) and was arrested in a scheme allegedly orchestrated by Washington without the involvement of Mexico.

The judge in the case denied him bail and remanded Lopez in custody, ordering a case management hearing for September 30, AFP quoted the assistant US Attorney’s officeas saying.

Guzman Lopez facing death penalty

A federal grand jury indicted Guzman Lopez on money laundering, drug trafficking, and weapons charges, court documents previously released by prosecutors showed.

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Broadcaster CNN reported that Guzman Lopez’s lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, told reporters his client faces the death penalty in the case.

The co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, Ismael Zambada Garcia, known as “El Mayo,” who was also arrested with Guzman Lopez, pleaded not guilty on Friday (July 26) to drug trafficking and money laundering charges before a federal judge in Texas, and has another court appearance scheduled for Thursday (August 1) in El Paso.

How were Guzman Lopez, El Mayo arrested?

The US’ arrest operation not only led to Guzman Lopez being detained but also resulted in El Mayo landing up in US custody. DEA chief Anne Milgram said 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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So far, the details of the operation have remained murky.

US media have quoted law enforcement sources as saying that Zambada was lured across the Mexico border by Guzman Lopez.

El Mayo’s lawyer, Frank Perez, has maintained since Sunday (July 28) that his client was “kidnapped” and taken to the United States against his will.

According to a report released by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in May, El Chapo’s were engaged in an “internal battle” against Zambada.

With inputs from AFP