Naman Shrestha
From the 1980s to the 2020s, the Sinaloa Cartel ran a drug trafficking operation from Mexico and trafficked different kinds of drugs into the United States. At the helm of the drug cartel were Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, with their sons also handling different factions of the operation. One of El Chapo’s sons — Joaquin “El Güero” Guzman Lopez — was also a part of the faction called Los Chapitos, along with his brothers. Netflix’s ‘The Fall of El Mayo’ is a three-part true-crime docuseries that explores the workings and crimes of the Sinaloa Cartel. It also delves deeply into El Güero’s contribution in helping the authorities capture El Mayo.
Joaquin “El Güero” Guzman Lopez Reportedly Played a Big Role in the Apprehension of El Mayo
On July 16, 1986, in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, Joaquín Guzmán López, nicknamed “El Güero,” was born to Joaquín Guzmán Loera and Griselda López Pérez. Also known as “El Chapo,” his father was a drug lord and co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, which he ran alongside Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García. El Güero shared a close bond with his brothers Ovidio Guzmán López, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar; federal indictments allege the brothers together led the faction known as Los Chapitos. Being a high-ranking member of the drug cartel, he not only oversaw the manufacturing of drugs but also managed the distribution of the drugs in Mexico and the US.
In his federal plea agreement, El Güero admitted to being a logistical coordinator and acknowledged paying off law enforcement officers and Mexican government officials to ensure the cartel’s operations ran without a hitch. With El Mayo evading justice for decades, he was eventually captured after El Güero lured him onto US soil on a private plane. According to a statement released by El Mayo’s attorney, on July 25, 2024, El Güero told the drug lord that he wanted help in calming down problems between Hector Melesio Cuen and the governor of Sinaloa, Ruben Rocha. After he fell into the trap, the two men flew to the Doña Ana County International Jetport near El Paso, Texas, and were taken into custody by the US authorities. Rocha has vehemently denied any prior knowledge or involvement in the plan.
Joaquin “El Güero” Guzman Lopez is Awaiting His Sentencing Hearing After His Guilty Plea
Days after his arrest, on July 30, 2024, Joaquin “El Güero” Guzman Lopez pleaded not guilty to the drug trafficking and money laundering charges against him. In addition, he was charged with high treason by the Mexican government. By October of the same year, he and his brother, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, began negotiating plea deals. In May 2025, the prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty in case El Güero got convicted. On December 1, 2025, he pleaded guilty to two counts: drug conspiracy and engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.
The prosecution alleged that he and his brothers ran a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel called Los Chapitos and were responsible for trafficking all kinds of drugs, such as heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine, to the United States. When El Güero was questioned about his job, he responded, “Drug trafficking.” In court, he also admitted that he was part of the kidnapping plot of El Mayo. As per his account, he had sedated the drug lord on the flight before it landed at the Doña Ana County International Jetport. His sentencing hearing was scheduled to take place on August 31, 2026. However, in August 2026, his hearing was officially postponed by seven months and is now scheduled for March 1, 2027. Thus, he is currently held up at a county jail awaiting his sentencing hearing.
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