The United States will not seek the death penalty for the son of convicted Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman - El Chapo, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, if he is convicted on drug trafficking charges in the United States, the US attorney's office said, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
In court documents filed in court on May 23, the federal prosecutor's office in Chicago did not provide an explanation for its decision or additional details.
In 2023, Guzman Lopez and three of his brothers were charged in the United States with drug trafficking and money laundering related to taking over the leadership of the “Sinaloa“ cartel of their father after his extradition to the United States in 2017.
Guzman Lopez has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer, Jeffrey Lehman, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters notes.
Guzman Lopez was arrested at an airport in New Mexico in July 2024 along with alleged co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, Ismael Zambada - El Mayo. The operation was a major success for US law enforcement.
Zambada has also pleaded not guilty. In February, his lawyer said he was willing to plead guilty if prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty.
El Chapo is serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison in Colorado after being convicted of drug trafficking charges in 2019.