CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of infamous drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and Griselda Lopez Perez, has been extradited from Mexico to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.
Lopez was flown to Chicago on Friday, September 15, where he will be prosecuted for allegedly smuggling significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl across the border into the United States.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed that Lopez is now in US custody and will await trial on these charges.
Who is Griselda Lopez Perez?
Griselda, 64, is the mother of Ovidio Guzman Lopez. She was one of the wives of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the notorious Mexican drug lord.
She has kept a relatively low profile compared to some of El Chapo's other partners, as she has generally stayed out of the public eye.
In July 2017, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia convened a grand jury that formally charged both Lopez and his brother Joaquin with participating in a conspiracy to traffic cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana dating back to 2008.
This indictment was initially sealed and filed on April 2, 2018.
On December 12, 2018, the indictment was partially unsealed for the purpose of disclosure in an extradition proceeding under the Jencks Act.
On February 13, 2019, Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered the complete unsealing of the indictment.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez was captured in Culiacan, Sinaloa
Mexican security forces captured Lopez, also known as 'The Mouse,' in January in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, which gives its name to the notorious cartel.
A previous attempt to capture him had been made three years earlier but was abandoned due to the violent retaliation by his cartel associates, and which plunged Culiacan into chaos.
In January, his arrest triggered a similar wave of violence, resulting in the deaths of 30 people in Culiacan, including 10 military personnel.
The Mexican army responded by deploying Black Hawk helicopter gunships against the cartel's truck-mounted .50-caliber machine guns.
Cartel gunmen also targeted two military aircraft, forcing them to land, and attacked the city's airport, damaging both military and civilian aircraft with gunfire.
This capture occurred shortly before President Joe Biden's visit to Mexico for bilateral talks and the North American Leaders' Summit.
He is now in US custody ahead of trial, US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced, according to Daily Mail. "This action is the most recent step in the Justice Department´s effort to attack every aspect of the cartel´s operations," he said.
On Friday, September 15, Attorney General Garland honored the law enforcement and military personnel who sacrificed their lives in both the United States and Mexico.
"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 said.
El Chapo in prison for life
Previously, El Chapo was sentenced to life in prison on July 17, 2019. The sentencing took place in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York.
He was found guilty on multiple charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and involvement in organized crime, per KTVB.
In addition to the life sentence, El Chapo was also ordered to forfeit $12.6 billion, an amount representing the estimated revenue generated by his drug trafficking organization.
The sentencing marked the end of a high-profile trial that exposed the inner workings of the Sinaloa Cartel and its leader's criminal activities.
