Ovidio Guzmán In Search Of An Agreement With The U.S.

 "Char" for Borderland Beat 

This article was translated and reposted from RIODOCE 

At Monday's hearing in the Northern District of Illinois, the son of 'Chapo' Guzmán could determine whether he goes to trial or enters into a plea deal with the U.S. in exchange for a lighter sentence.

The future of Ovidio Guzmán López, the Mouse, will be at stake again this Monday, March 18, when he will be brought before a federal judge for the third time in the Northern District of Illinois, where prosecutors will present evidence showing that the former drug lord was the leader of what the DEA identifies as the Sinaloa Cartel, in addition to setting dates for a possible trial.

According to security experts, Guzmán López is beginning to define his future, as prosecutors will point out to the judge the reasons why the Mouse should never leave prison again, while the defense will argue the opposite, but at the same time will study the prosecution's evidence to determine if it is worth facing the U.S. government, or if it is better to negotiate with them in exchange for a less severe sentence.

Jeffrey Lichtman, Guzmán López's lawyer, commented in a brief message sent to Ríodoce, that Ovidio Guzmán is calm, and that he expects a fair trial, without advancing a possible defense strategy, nor the possibility of a plea bargain.

In a letter whose content was published in May 2023 by Borderland Beat, and which was allegedly sent by Joaquín el Chapo Guzmán to his sons who are still free, he asks them to be smart and negotiate with the US, as it is the only way out.

"How are you 'my kings'? It is with great pleasure and love that I write to you, hoping that you are doing well. I can tell you that I am very concerned about everything I have seen on television. My wish is that you can have peace in your lives and a life without problems. I miss you all very much 'my kings'. It is very difficult here, but I have faith that a good agreement can be reached, I need you to pay more attention to the lawyer.

"They should think about the future and the welfare of the family, but let everything be done through the lawyers, do not give the face or that of the family. I don't want them to be like that or go on like that, try to fix everything. Remember that no one can be trusted and everyone will try to solve their problems at our expense.

"For now, keep a low profile as much as possible. They should go unnoticed like ghosts so that no one talks. You should wait a few months for the waters to calm down and try to avoid scandals. Check the list that the lawyer has, those are the ones they want so they can make good points with these friends, so things will get better," the alleged missive states.

However, in the opinion of Mike Vigil, former undercover DEA agent in Mexico, an agreement between Guzmán Loera's sons and the U.S. government seems "difficult" because of all the pressure against the brothers, whom the U.S. government accuses of being the main responsible for fentanyl trafficking.

"In the case of Ovidio, I don't think they are going to make an agreement with Ovidio, because it is known by all that surely the brothers who are still free have taken measures in case Ovidio collaborates, in such a way that they have already changed houses, telephones, they even changed the location of the laboratories, and that does not help the investigators," Vigil said.

The only thing left, he added, is to confront his brothers if they are ever arrested, or to give information about Ismael El Mayo Zambada, about the places where he surely knows he moves, which is in the Sinaloa highlands, "but I don't think I can contribute much, because El Mayo moves all the time.

According to the US State Department, El Raton and his brother Joaquin Guzman Lopez "inherited their father's narcotics business when he was extradited to the United States," and although the natural heir was Edgar Guzman Lopez, after his murder in 2008, El Mouse and his brother Joaquin inherited everything, until they took over the business to produce fentanyl.

In a recent statement, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that fentanyl overdose deaths are "the biggest challenge they face as a government," making it imperative to crack down on those who move it.

That observation contrasts with a letter sent to Milenio by Guzman Loera's sons, in which they claim that they are not the producers of fentanyl, but rather an army of independent producers, operating without accountability to them.

Prosecutors, for their part, along with DEA agents, claim that this is not so. Los Chapitos denied it, and as proof they placed banners in Culiacan prohibiting the production and trafficking of fentanyl, and warned that anyone who disobeyed would face the consequences.

It is expected that during the preliminary hearing against Ovidio Guzman, to be held this Monday, it will be partially defined when the trial will be held, and if it will be behind closed doors.

Ovidio Guzmán, 33, faces charges of fentanyl trafficking, criminal association, illegal possession of a firearm, and if found guilty, he could face life imprisonment.

During the hearing and possible trial against El Raton or Mouse, all evidence presented against him by the U.S. government will not be released, but will be destroyed once it is reviewed by the defense.

According to a court order signed by Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, all evidence that comes to the defense, including photos, videos, audios of calls, photos of text conversations, seized drugs, will be subject to a protective order and will be delivered before and after each hearing to the defendant's lawyers, and with the exception of official documents that the court maintains as official, will be subsequently eliminated.

"Thereafter, neither the defendant nor his attorneys may maintain copies or photos of the material, nor may they disclose the materials or their contents directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than persons employed to assist in the defense," the document reads.

The motion adds that the same will occur with those who are interviewed during the preliminary hearings prior to trial, including potential witnesses and other persons whom the court may authorize to listen to the material, but no one may disclose or keep the content of evidence, photos, or audios, without prior authorization from the court, including, in the case of copies of evidence, it must be returned to the same court.

In the same way, he adds, the court may require a type of certification that materials retained by the defense attorney, adhere to the restrictions of the court order, and may not be disseminated or used in connection with any other matter.

Article published on March 17, 2024 in the 1103rd edition of the weekly Ríodoce.

SOURCE: RIODOCE