There are still many questions about how El Chapo’s son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, arrived at a Texas airport last week, along with the co-founder of the Sinaloa drug cartel, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.
Both were arrested when they stepped off the private plane.
But outside a Chicago courtroom Tuesday morning, Guzman Lopez's attorney wanted to make one thing perfectly clear: His client has no deal with the US government.
"Take it from me instead of from someone who thinks he knows or an anonymous source," said New York attorney Jeffery Lichtman. "This is fact. There has never been an agreement with the government."
Guzman Lopez, wearing an orange jumpsuit, handcuffs on his wrists and shackles around his ankles, was arraigned before Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman and entered a plea of not guilty to charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and running a drug conspiracy.
He faces the death penalty, in part because he was not extradited to the US under its treaty with Mexico.
"That’s exactly true," Lichtman said. "Because there was no extradition, he is facing death."
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Lichtman represents both Guzman Lopez and his brother, Ovidio. He also represented their father. He said that's not a conflict, and so far, his clients agree.
The case against Guzman Lopez was filed by the US Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois. Even though he has other cases pending against him in other jurisdictions, it's likely that the first case to come to trial will be here in Chicago.
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For now, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is serving a life sentence at a Supermax prison in Colorado. His sons, the "chapitos," are due back in court Sept. 30.
"El Mayo" Zambada has also entered a not guilty plea in his case as speculation continues about how he and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, who both have millions of dollars in bounties for their arrest, wound up in US custody.
"I don't know what's real. I don't know what's not real," said attorney Lichtman. "But it shouldn't really surprise anybody that there is a story that seems to be changing every few minutes, which means that much of what is being leaked to the press is inaccurate," he said.
