Joaquín Guzmán López, Son of "El Chapo," Will Remain In Jail As Hearing is Postponed For the Fourth Time

The federal court hearing for Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and alleged leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, was postponed once again, leaving him detained in Chicago. Court records show the new date has been rescheduled for November 13, 2025.

The hearing has already been delayed multiple times. It was originally scheduled for May 2025, but it was postponed to June 2. It was then announced that his hearing would take place on July 9, then July 15, and then, most recently, on September 15.

Joaquín Guzmán López, born in 1986 in Sinaloa, Mexico, and his brothers, known collectively as "Los Chapitos," inherited parts of the cartel's leadership after their father's arrest and extradition. He was arrested in El Paso, Texas, in July 2024 in an operation that also targeted longtime Sinaloa capo Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. Guzmán López pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges filed in the Northern District of Illinois. Zambada has accused Guzmán López of luring him into a trap, which led to both of their arrests.

His case mirrors that of his brother Ovidio Guzmán López, who pleaded guilty in Chicago on July 11, 2025, as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. Ovidio admitted to trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the United States, as well as violent cartel operations, including murders, and agreed to cooperate with investigators in exchange for potential leniency and cooperation with federal prosecutors across Chicago, New York, and San Diego.

That agreement also includes an $80 million forfeiture judgment and a commitment to provide substantial assistance in ongoing investigations. The exact reason for the multiple delays, including this one, remains unclear; however, legal experts suggest that today's postponement may reflect confidential plea-deal negotiations involving Joaquín Guzmán López, amid speculation that his brother Ovidio's recent guilty plea and cooperation agreement could influence Joaquín to follow suit.

Court watchers also point to logistical and security concerns. Guzmán López is considered a high-value defendant, and his trial could expose details about cartel operations, including finances, trafficking routes, and links to other criminal groups.

Ovidio's plea agreement included providing federal prosecutors with recordings and financial evidence tied to the cartel's money-laundering operations, something Joaquín may also be pressured to deliver. In May 2025, 17 members of the Guzmán family were escorted into California from Mexico, likely as part of the deal the sons made with the U.S. government.