Ovidio Guzmán López, known by the nickname “El Ratón,” is the son of former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera and one of the figures associated with the faction known as Los Chapitos.
Following his father's arrest and extradition to the United States, Ovidio and his brothers Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar and Joaquín Guzmán López were identified by U.S. authorities as having assumed leadership roles within the Sinaloa Cartel. Federal prosecutors subsequently accused the group of involvement in large-scale international narcotics trafficking.
Ovidio's criminal case became particularly prominent in January 2023, when Mexican authorities arrested him in Culiacán, Sinaloa. He was later extradited to the United States in September 2023 to face federal charges in Chicago. At his initial U.S. arraignment, prosecutors accused him of participating in a continuing criminal enterprise and conspiracies involving controlled substances and money laundering.
His legal position changed substantially in July 2025, when Ovidio pleaded guilty in federal court in Chicago. The U.S. Department of Justice said he pleaded guilty to two counts of drug conspiracy and two counts of knowingly engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. A sentencing date had not yet been established at the time of the DOJ announcement.
The case was connected to a broader U.S. prosecution of Los Chapitos. Federal prosecutors have described the faction as a major part of the Sinaloa Cartel's leadership and alleged that it was involved in the international trafficking of fentanyl and other controlled substances. Because Ovidio ultimately pleaded guilty, his legal status differs from that of his brothers Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo, who remain wanted by U.S. authorities according to current government information.
Ovidio's story also illustrates the transition of the Sinaloa Cartel after the imprisonment of his father. While El Chapo was convicted in the United States and sentenced to life imprisonment, his sons emerged as important figures in the cartel's subsequent leadership structure. U.S. authorities have continued targeting that structure through indictments, sanctions and international investigations.
As of 2026, Ovidio remains involved in federal judicial proceedings in the United States. His sentencing has been delayed, with a status hearing scheduled for October 28, 2026, according to reporting on the federal case.
Unlike an individual who is merely accused in an indictment, Ovidio has pleaded guilty to the federal charges covered by his 2025 agreement. However, his final sentence remains a matter for the U.S. federal court.
Ovidio Guzmán López therefore occupies an important place in the recent history of the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Chapitos: the son of one of Mexico's most notorious cartel leaders, a former fugitive arrested in Mexico, extradited to the United States and ultimately a federal defendant who pleaded guilty to serious narcotics offenses.
SOURCES
U.S. Department of Justice — Ovidio Guzmán López Pleads Guilty
U.S. Department of Justice — Ovidio Guzmán López Arraignment
U.S. Department of Justice — Sinaloa Cartel Leadership Charges
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