CHICAGO — The son of infamous drug lord “El Chapo” acknowledged his role in U.S. drug trafficking activities as he entered a guilty plea on Monday. This confession comes just months after his brother reached a similar agreement with prosecutors.

In Mexico, the brothers Joaquín Guzmán López and Ovidio Guzmán López are often referred to as the “Chapitos,” or “little Chapos.” They are charged with overseeing a segment of the Sinaloa cartel. In 2023, U.S. officials characterized their operations as a large-scale effort to flood the country with alarming amounts of fentanyl.

Joaquín Guzmán López admitted to two charges: drug trafficking and maintaining a criminal enterprise.

His arrest, along with that of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, another prominent leader of the Sinaloa cartel, took place in July 2024 in Texas following their arrival in the U.S. via a private jet. Both men initially pleaded not guilty to numerous accusations, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offenses. Their capture triggered a wave of violence in Mexico’s Sinaloa state, as rival factions within the cartel fought for control.

As part of his plea agreement, Joaquín Guzmán López confessed to managing the production and transport of substantial amounts of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl into the U.S. These activities have significantly contributed to a drug overdose epidemic, resulting in countless deaths each year.

In July, Ovidio Guzmán López became the first son of drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán to enter a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms charges tied to his leadership role in the cartel. Legal experts called the plea deal a significant step for the U.S. government in their investigation and prosecution of Sinaloa cartel leaders.

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán is serving a life sentence after being convicted in 2019 for his role as the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel, having smuggled mountains of cocaine and other drugs into the United States over 25 years. The brothers allegedly assumed their father’s former role as leaders of the cartel.

Federal prosecutors previously said they will not seek the death penalty for Joaquín Guzmán López.

ABC7 Chicago contributed to this report.