(EFE) – The Mexican brothers Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán, accused of drug trafficking like their father, Chapo Guzmán, who is serving a life sentence in the US, are in talks with the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Chicago, but the conditions are unknown, as confirmed by this Monday his defense.
An agreement between these two brothers, known as ‘Los Chapitos’, with the Prosecutor’s Office would imply pleading guilty and cooperating with the authorities in exchange for a reduction in their sentence, as other drug traffickers who have faced justice in the United States have already done. Some have already been released from prison.
Ovidio Guzmán, extradited to the United States in September 2023 and known as ‘El Ratón’, attended a hearing in a federal court in Chicago this Monday, which lasted 15 minutes, as part of the process against him with a view to to a trial if a prior plea agreement is not reached.
On July 23 of this year, two days before his brother Joaquín arrived in the United States accompanied by Ismael ‘el Mayo’ Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel along with his father Joaquín ‘el Chapo’, Guzmán Loera, his His name stopped appearing on the list of federal prisoners, and his whereabouts were unknown.
Shortly after, it was learned that he was still in the custody of the authorities and today he reappeared, in his orange prison uniform, to appear at the hearing, in which it emerged that he and his younger brother are already negotiating an agreement.
Prosecutor Andrew Erskine told Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman that both sides were in preliminary talks to “resolve this case before trial” and that they hoped to have more information about a possible agreement at the next hearing in January, according to media reports.
His lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman, who also defends his brother Joaquín and defended his father, admitted for the first time that ‘los Chapitos’, who lead the Sinaloa Cartel after the arrest and conviction of their father, are in talks with the US Government. , represented by the Prosecutor’s Office.
Ovidio Guzmán, 34, is accused of conspiring to distribute drugs, being part of a criminal enterprise, exporting narcotics to the United States, carrying out financial transactions with the proceeds of illegal activities and illicitly using and carrying firearms, of which declared not guilty.
While his brother Joaquín, 38, was accused of drug trafficking, money laundering and violations of the weapons law, crimes for which he also pleaded not guilty.
At today’s hearing, Ovidio, who was assisted by an interpreter, told the judge that there was no conflict in Lichtman defending him at the same time as his brother.
As long as one brother does not testify against the other, there is no conflict in him representing both, the lawyer later clarified to journalists and assured that so far, the Government has not presented any objections.
Although it was not established that the cases of ‘Los Chapitos’ will be united into one, the judge summoned the brothers together for the next hearing that she set for next January 7 at 11 in the morning.
Lichtman pointed out in an aside with journalists after the hearing that his clients remain in US custody and that transferring them from prison in Chicago was due to a security issue.
He also clarified that negotiations are just beginning.
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