Son of ‘El Chapo’ appears in Chicago; lawyer denies any agreement with the US Government

Joaquín Guzmán López, alias “El Güero Moreno”, 38 years old, son of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias “El Chapo”, appeared before Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, in the Federal Court of the Northern District of Illinois, in Chicago.

In the short hearing, the judge asked Guzmán López if he allowed his lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, to also represent his brother Ovidio Guzmán López, alias “El Ratón,” in the same case. “Yes, your honor,” answered “El Güero Moreno,” who was brought to the Court, without handcuffs and wearing an orange suit, which prisoners wear.

The lawyers for the son of “El Chapo” and Johnson Coleman agreed to meet again in the same Court, on January 7, 2025, after the judge asked “El Ratón” if he agreed to the same conflict of interest.

“We have no agreement with the Government […] You know, a lot of people have come here and just decided they want to move on. […] Living in Sinaloa as a refugee is not easy. So, sometimes it’s better to solve legal problems,” answered defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman.

This was in response to a question from local reporters, when they were asked if “El Güero Moreno” was cooperating with the US authorities.

As reported by the local newspaper The Chicago Sun-Times, in a note signed by journalist David Struett, the lawyer denied the deal with the US authorities, “but he hesitated when asked if his client was cooperating with federal authorities.

After the hearing, Lichtman told reporters that he was continuing to review evidence in the case and would try to seek a resolution with federal prosecutors to prevent him from going to trial. .

“In every case I have, I want to reach a resolution, if I can […] You know, I don’t want to go to trial unless we have to go to trial. […] And I’m certainly willing to go to trial,” said Lichtman, who also represented “El Chapo” and “El Ratón.”

According to data from the US Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), “El Güero Moreno” was held in the Metropolitan Correctional Center Chicago, Illinois, (MCC Chicago), with registration number 08260-506. It was the same prison that his brother, alias “El Ratón”, entered on September 15, 2023, after being extradited to the United States.