Son of Mexican drug kingpin ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán appears in Chicago federal courtroom Tuesday

CHICAGO — The son of “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former leader of Mexico’s violent Sinaloa Drug Cartel, was in a Chicago federal courtroom Tuesday.

The government says Joaquín Guzmán López, “El Chapo’s” son, and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada are the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, taking over the drug business after “El Chapo’s” arrest in 2016.

With extra security entering and exiting the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, Guzmán López’s attorney spoke on his client’s behalf. The attorney entered a plea of not guilty for his client, facing allegations that include drug trafficking and money laundering.

The attorney also told the judge that Guzmán López speaks fluent English and doesn’t need a translator, and that his client has medical conditions like thyroid issues and high blood pressure and didn’t take medications Tuesday.

Guzmán López is due back in Chicago on Sept. 30.

The government says Guzmán López and Zambada are both accused of overseeing the trafficking of tens of thousands of pounds of drugs into the U.S. They were arrested in Texas last week, and Guzmán López was brought to Chicago.

Among the many indictments Guzmán López and Zambada face include one dating back to 2009 in Chicago, fueling speculation both men would be tried here.

The Chicago Tribune reports that, speaking on condition of anonymity, a Mexican federal official told The Associated Press last week that Guzmán López and Zambada turned themselves in to authorities after arriving in the U.S. on a private plane.

However, according to reports , Zambada’s lawyer says his client did not surrender or was not tricked into boarding the plane, alleging instead that Guzmán López “forcibly kidnapped” him.

The Tribune also reports that Zambada waived his appearance in Texas, and it’s not clear if he’ll eventually end up in Chicago, too.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement after the arrests of Guzmán López and Zambada last week that the men led “one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world,” and they face multiple charges “for leading the cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks.”

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