Two of the six sons of murderous drug boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who was convicted in the United Sttes earlier this month, have been indicted on drug conspiracy charges, said the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Indicted were Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 34, and Ovidio Guzman Lopez, 28. The brothers are charged in a single-count indictment unsealed last week in Washington, D.C.
It was earlier reported that some of El Chapo's sons had taken over their father's business in the Sinaloa cartel. El Chapo's four other sons are Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, Édgar Guzman López, Jesús Alfredo Guzman Salazar and César Guzman Salazar.
DOJ prosecutors allege Joaquin and Ovidio conspired to smuggle and distribute illegal drugs in the U.S. from Mexico and elsewhere in the world from 2008 to 2018. They are both believed to be living in Mexico and remain fugitives.
The announcement of the indictment was made by Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona Field Office.
Specifically, Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ovidio Guzman Lopez are charged in a one-count indictment alleging that from around April 2008 through April 2018, they conspired to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana from Mexico and elsewhere for importation into the United States.
This case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras. Trial Attorneys Anthony Aminoff and Anthony Nardozzi of the Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) are prosecuting the case.
DOJ said the case, which was investigated by HSI, is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and local enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
El Chapo was found guilty on Feb. 12 at the Eastern District of New York of all 10 federal criminal accounts against him. These charges include engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds, international distribution of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other drugs, and use of firearms.
Apart from generating billions of dollars, El Chapo's Sinaloa drug cartel flourished because it created a culture of mass corruption at all levels of Mexican society, especially in the federal government and the police.
The trial revealed distressing testimony about corruption at nearly every level of the Mexican government, from police and military commanders to local and state officials and to former Mexican presidents.
This article was first published in IBTimes US. Permission required for reproduction.
