**Ovidio Guzmán López: No Longer in Prison But Still Under U.S. Custody**
Ovidio Guzmán López, also known as “El Ratón,” the son of notorious drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, as well as the alleged leader of “Los Chapitos,” was reported to have been released from Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago on July 23, 2024. Despite facing 12 charges related to narcotrafficking, he has not been judged or sentenced.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) search results, Guzmán López was no longer listed as an inmate. However, during a press conference on July 23, 2024, Kenneth Lee Salazar, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, confirmed that “El Ratón” remains under custody with modified precautionary measures, though details on his legal status were not provided.
Previously, on June 17, 2024, Guzmán López appeared before Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman in the Federal Court for the Northern District of Illinois to discuss his charges which span from narcotrafficking to firearm possession. Federal prosecutors accused him of conspiring to distribute cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana from Mexico to the U.S. between 2008 and 2021.
Defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman requested additional time to review the evidence, and the next hearing was scheduled for October 1, 2024. Guzmán López had earlier pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking and money laundering on September 18, 2023, during which he also waived his detention hearing, leading to his confinement without bail.
He faces multiple charges in both Chicago and New York, including continuing criminal enterprise, narcotrafficking, illegal money laundering, and firearm possession.
Captured twice in Mexico, first in October 2019 and then in January 2023, Guzmán López managed to evade longer detention times due to violent outbreaks orchestrated by his allies. However, his second capture led to his extradition to the U.S. on September 15, 2023.
**Secondary Article: U.S. Authorities Maintain Custody Over Ovidio Guzmán López Amid Legal Proceedings**
Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez, head of Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection (SSPC), confirmed on July 29, 2024, that although Ovidio Guzmán López changed his precautionary measures, he has not been released and remains under U.S. authorities’ custody. This information was reiterated during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s morning press conference.
Rodríguez Velázquez dismissed rumors of Guzmán López being a protected witness, stating that official communications only confirmed his transfer from prison. This occurred after the Mexican government’s cooperation in his extradition.
Furthermore, the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (FGR) detailed a chronological sequence connecting Guzmán López’s release and the alleged abduction of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. The FGR continues to investigate both the irregularities around Guzmán López’s custodial transfer and the alleged involvement of his brother in Zambada’s kidnapping.
As investigations unfold, international and Interpol assistance has been sought to identify individuals involved in this intricate legal situation. Updates continue to emerge as authorities strive to resolve these high-profile cases.