One of the sons of notorious drug lord Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka “El Chapo,” was extradited from Mexico to the U.S. on Friday, authorities said.
“Today, as a result of United States and Mexico law enforcement cooperation, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel was extradited to the United States. This action is the most recent step in the Justice Department’s effort to attack every aspect of the cartel’s operations,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced.
Lopez, 33, and his brother, Joaquín Guzmán-López, ran the Guzmán-López Transnational Criminal Organization, a subset of the Sinaloa Cartel, according to the Department of State. Both men operated about eleven methamphetamine labs in the Mexican state of Sinaloa producing an estimated 3,000- 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine per month for transnational distribution to the U.S. and Canada. They were indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana back in 2018, the Department of State further noted.
Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the Extradition of Ovidio Guzman Lopez from Mexico to the United Stateshttps://t.co/zftvUR1od5
— Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) September 16, 2023
The Sinaloa Cartel, formerly run by Lopez’s father, ran “the largest, most violent, and most prolific fentanyl trafficking operation in the world … fueled by Chinese precursor chemical and pharmaceutical companies,” Garland said in a statement by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Lopez and his three brothers, collectively called the “Chapitos,” reportedly transported the drugs and their precursor chemicals by air, over land, and by sea across international borders. (RELATED: Biden Admin Sanctions Fugitive Known As ‘Anthrax Monkey,’ Other Members Of Notorious Fentanyl Cartel)
Lopez was arrested on January 5 in Sinaloa, the DEA said. His arrest sparked street warfare between the cartel and Mexican law enforcement agents. He was flown to Chicago but will face charges in multiple U.S. cities including New York and Washington, D.C., ABC News reported. Meanwhile, his father is reportedly serving a life sentence while one of his father’s wives, Emma, was released after two years in prison.
Garland thanked the various authorities involved in the arrest and extradition. “The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country,” he added.