• Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of El Chapo, pleads guilty to drug charges in U.S. court.
• This marks him as the first of El Chapo's sons to enter a plea deal.
• The plea relates to his leadership role in fentanyl trafficking operations.
• His brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, faces different charges and has pleaded not guilty.
• Mexican President criticized U.S. policies regarding cartel dealings.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of infamous drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, pleaded guilty to multiple U.S. drug trafficking charges at a hearing in Chicago, marking a significant development in his legal situation. He is the first of El Chapo's sons to reach a plea deal with U.S. prosecutors, as he admitted to his involvement in overseeing the production and smuggling of drugs, including fentanyl, contributing to a national opioid crisis, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.

During the court proceedings, Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to charges including drug distribution and participation in a continuing criminal enterprise, which could potentially result in a life sentence. Prosecutors allege that Guzman Lopez, along with his brother Joaquin, exploited the Sinaloa Cartel's operations significantly after their father's arrest in 2016, focusing primarily on fentanyl smuggling, according to Los Angeles Times and South China Morning Post.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez's guilty plea is seen as a pivotal moment for the U.S. government's strategy against the Sinaloa Cartel, as it allows him to potentially cooperate with prosecutors while postponing his sentencing based on this cooperation. His attorney noted that the specifics of the agreement, including possible benefits, have not yet been disclosed, according to India Times and India Times.

In response to Guzman Lopez's plea, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized the inconsistencies in U.S. policies towards cartels, highlighting the contradiction of designating them as foreign terrorist organizations while simultaneously negotiating plea deals with their leaders. This criticism underscores ongoing tensions concerning the methods employed in combating drug trafficking, according to Los Angeles Times and South China Morning Post.