CHICAGO (AP) – Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, is expected to plead guilty in a major U.S. drug trafficking case during a court hearing scheduled for Friday. This has been a significant development since the hearing was initially set for Wednesday but rescheduled without any public explanation. Court documents suggest that Guzman Lopez plans to change his previous not guilty plea as part of an arrangement with federal prosecutors.

If the plea is finalized, it would represent the first instance of any of El Chapo's sons entering such an agreement with U.S. federal authorities. Speculation surrounding a possible deal has been escalating for months, as ongoing negotiations have been conducted discreetly.

Federal prosecutors accuse Ovidio and his brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, of leading a powerful faction of the Sinaloa cartel, which is infamous for its drug trafficking operations. The brothers, known locally as Los Chapitos, are specifically linked to a significant fentanyl trafficking operation. According to prosecutors, this operation has funneled an alarming amount of the synthetic opioid into the United States.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is currently serving a life sentence in a U.S. federal prison following his 2019 conviction. After his capture, Ovidio Guzman Lopez and his siblings reportedly assumed key leadership roles within the Sinaloa cartel, further entrenching their family's influence in the drug trafficking world.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez was arrested by Mexican authorities in early 2023 and was subsequently extradited to the United States several months later. Initially, he pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offenses. Meanwhile, his brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, along with longtime cartel leader Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, was arrested in Texas in 2024 after arriving on a private plane. Their capture has led to a surge of violence across the Sinaloa region, as rival factions have engaged in fierce conflicts for control of the territory.

As of now, both Ovidio and Joaquin Guzman Lopez have pleaded not guilty to a multitude of charges, even as the landscape of drug trafficking continues to evolve dramatically in Mexico and the United States.