• Joaquin Guzman Lopez will not face the death penalty if convicted on drug trafficking charges.
• Federal prosecutors filed a notice confirming this decision without further explanation.
• Guzman Lopez has pleaded not guilty and is part of a broader indictment involving his family.
• His arrest occurred alongside other cartel leaders in July 2024.
• El Chapo, his father, remains in a U.S. prison serving a life sentence.

Federal prosecutors in the United States have announced that they will not pursue the death penalty for Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of notorious drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, if he is convicted on federal drug trafficking charges. This decision was documented in a court filing made on May 23, 2025, although it was conveyed in a single sentence without any explanation provided for the conclusions drawn by the prosecutors, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

Joaquin Guzman Lopez, along with his three brothers collectively referred to as the “Chapitos”, was indicted in 2023. After their father’s extradition in 2017, they assumed leadership roles within the Sinaloa Cartel, facing charges including drug trafficking and money laundering. Guzman Lopez maintains his innocence, having pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include a count that holds a potential death sentence, according to CBS News and Reuters.

Besides Guzman Lopez, his brother Ovidio Guzman Lopez is also implicated in similar charges and is expected to appear in court soon regarding a potential plea bargain. Their father, once the head of the drug empire, is currently serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison after convictions related to extensive drug trafficking. Joaquin Guzman Lopez and another cartel figure, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, were arrested in July 2024 on federal charges, highlighting ongoing U.S. efforts to combat the Sinaloa Cartel, according to Al Jazeera and CBS News.