U.S. Renews Push to Capture Two Remaining 'El Chapo' Sons After Joaquín Guzmán López's Guilty Plea

After spending more than a year in U.S. custody, Joaquín Guzmán López, known as "El Güero," pleaded guilty on Dec. 1 to one count of drug conspiracy and one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise for his role co-leading Los Chapitos, the Sinaloa Cartel faction run by the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán since his 2016 arrest.

Like his brother Ovidio Guzmán López did in July, El Güero reached a plea agreement with U.S. authorities after months of negotiations. As part of the deal, he admitted acting as a logistical coordinator for the transport of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and other drugs and precursor chemicals from Mexico into the United States.

In a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois, officials said the effort to capture the remaining sons of El Chapo remains ongoing, noting that Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar and his brother Jesús Alfredo are now top priorities for U.S. law enforcement.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi called the plea "a major victory" in the government's campaign to dismantle criminal networks it says threaten U.S. public safety.

"The Sinaloa Cartel is a terrorist organization that has spent decades destroying American families through brutal violence and deadly drug trafficking," Bondi said. "The guilty plea from El Chapo's son is a major victory and underscores the Trump administration's historic, aggressive campaign to dismantle terrorist organizations that target the American people."

Adam Gordon, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California, reaffirmed the government's position and its intention to keep pressuring Los Chapitos.

"Two down, two to go," Gordon said.

The government also reiterated that rewards of up to $10 million are available for information leading to the arrest of each of the two brothers still at large, adding that authorities will continue working to bring all of Los Chapitos' operational leaders to justice.

"Under the Chapitos' leadership, the Sinaloa Cartel has fueled the deadliest drug crisis in our nation's history, manufacturing poison and profiting from the destruction of American lives," DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said. "Joaquín Guzmán López's guilty plea marks another blow to the cartel's operations. We will not stop until these narco-terrorists are held accountable and the American people are protected."

With a $10 million bounty on his head, Iván is regarded as one of the most influential drug traffickers in the world, solidifying his position in the cartel after the downfall of both his father and the infamous Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.

Even before his brothers went to jail and El Mayo was captured, Iván had a very important role in the cartel. Now he is considered to be the main leader of Los Chapitos, which is taking over and allegedly spearheading much of the current violence in Sinaloa.

U.S. authorities also accuse Jesús Alfredo of coordinating the fentanyl trafficking operations that in recent years have flooded the United States. Officials say he additionally oversees the shipment of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to Mexico and manages the collection of drug proceeds for cartel members and associates.