Federal prosecutors have decided not to pursue the death penalty for Joaquin Guzman Lopez, who is the son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, a convicted Mexican drug kingpin. This decision applies if Lopez is found guilty of his own drug trafficking charges in the U.S.
In a court document filed on May 23 in Chicago, federal prosecutors stated, “if the defendant is convicted, the government will not seek a sentence of death.”
The prosecution did not provide any further details about its decision not to seek the death penalty against Guzman Lopez.
His attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, told Fox News Digital, “We’re obviously pleased with the result and hope to resolve Joaquin’s charges if possible.”
Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is escorted by soldiers during a presentation in Mexico City, January 8, 2016. (REUTERS/Tomas Bravo/File Photo)
The FBI claims that Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez were responsible for overseeing the smuggling of “tens of thousands of pounds of drugs into the United States, along with related violence.”
Zambada has also pleaded not guilty.
His attorneys told Reuters in February that he would be willing to plead guilty if prosecutors agreed to spare him the death penalty.
“El Chapo” is currently serving a life sentence at a maximum-security prison in Colorado after he was convicted of drug trafficking in 2019.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
