Current:Home > Markets‘El Chapo’ son Ovidio Guzmán López pleads not guilty to US drug and money laundering charges-LoTradeCoin
‘El Chapo’ son Ovidio Guzmán López pleads not guilty to US drug and money laundering charges
View Date:2024-12-24 07:17:44
CHICAGO (AP) — Ovidio Guzmán López,ánLó a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, pleaded not guilty Monday to drug trafficking, money laundering and other charges during his first court appearance since being extradited to the U.S. from Mexico.
Guzmán López was extradited Friday, five months after U.S. prosecutors unsealed sprawling indictments against him and his brothers, known collectively as the “Chapitos.” The indictments laid out how following their father’s extradition and eventual life sentence in the U.S. in 2019, the brothers steered the cartel increasingly into synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and the powerful opioid fentanyl.
Mexican security forces captured Guzmán López, known as “the Mouse,” in January in Culiacan, capital of Sinaloa state, the cartel’s namesake. His arrest set off violence that left 30 people dead, including 10 military personnel. Mexico’s army used Black Hawk helicopter gunships against the cartel’s truck-mounted .50-caliber machine guns. Cartel gunmen hit two military aircraft, forcing them to land, and sent gunmen to the city’s airport, where military and civilian aircraft were hit by gunfire.
Three years earlier, the government tried to capture him, but aborted the operation after similar violence.
The U.S. indictments against the brothers that were unsealed in April said their goal was to produce huge quantities of fentanyl and sell it at the lowest price. The brothers denied the allegations in a letter.
“We have never produced, manufactured or commercialized fentanyl nor any of its derivatives,” the letter said. “We are victims of persecution and have been made into scapegoats.”
Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall said in statement Friday that the extradition of Guzmán López “is testament to the significance of the ongoing cooperation between the American and Mexican governments on countering narcotics and other vital challenges.” Sherwood-Randall made multiple visits to Mexico this year to meet with President Andrés Manuel López-Obrador, most recently last month.
López Obrador has described his country as a transit point for fentanyl precursors coming from China and bound for the U.S., despite assertions by the U.S. government and his own military about production in Mexico.
veryGood! (1843)
Related
- See Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess' Blended Family Photos
- Justin Bieber's Mom Shares How She Likes Being a Grandmother to His and Hailey Bieber’s Baby
- Jordan Love injury update: Is Packers QB playing Week 3 vs. Titans?
- Pregnant Gypsy Rose Blanchard Details “Unexpected” Symptoms of Second Trimester
- NFL coaches diversity report 2024: Gains at head coach, setbacks at offensive coordinator
- Orioles DFA nine-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel right before MLB playoffs
- Ex-CIA officer gets 30 years in prison for drugging, sexually abusing dozens of women
- ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski retires from journalism, joins St. Bonaventure basketball
- Federal judge orders Oakland airport to stop using ‘San Francisco’ in name amid lawsuit
- Alaska man charged with sending graphic threats to kill Supreme Court justices
Ranking
- As the transition unfolds, Trump eyes one of his favorite targets: US intelligence
- Man admits falsifying violent threats after fantasy football argument
- Travis Kelce’s Jaw-Droppingly Luxe Birthday Gift to Patrick Mahomes Revealed
- Harvey Weinstein pleads not guilty to new criminal charge in New York
- Diamond Sports Group can emerge out of bankruptcy after having reorganization plan approved
- Christina Ricci Accuses Her Dad of Being Failed Cult Leader
- Drake London’s shooting celebration violated longstanding NFL rules against violent gestures
- Orioles DFA nine-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel right before MLB playoffs
Recommendation
-
RHOBH's Kyle Richards Addresses PK Kemsley Cheating Rumors in the Best Way Possible
-
America’s political system is under stress as voters and their leaders navigate unfamiliar terrain
-
Love Is Blind Season 7 Trailer Teases NSFW Confession About What’s Growing “Inside of His Pants”
-
Blue Jackets open camp amid lingering grief over death of Johnny Gaudreau
-
Love Is Blind’s Chelsea Blackwell Reacts to Megan Fox’s Baby News
-
'Golden Bachelorette' Joan met her 24 suitors in emotional premiere: Who got a rose?
-
Family of man found dead with a rope around neck demands answers; sheriff says no foul play detected
-
America’s political system is under stress as voters and their leaders navigate unfamiliar terrain