The publication
Who Is ‘El Ratón’? Ovidio Guzmán López: Role, Charges and Status
What officials and news reports say about Ovidio Guzmán López, known as “El Ratón”. Everything below is attributed to its source. Accusations are allegations, not findings: anyone not convicted is presumed innocent.
At a glance
- Name: Ovidio Guzmán López
- Known as: El Ratón
- Role, as reported: He admitted to leading a faction of the cartel after his father's arrest and extradition. [DeepNewz · news/research]
- Link to a criminal group: linked to the Los Chapitos (Sinaloa Cartel) in news reports cited below. See the Los Chapitos (Sinaloa Cartel) profile.
- On this page: 11 facts from 3 sources (0 from official records). Unverified leads are not shown.
Role, as officials describe it
- He admitted that he and his brothers, known as 'Los Chapitos,' took over their father's operations after the elder Guzmán's arrest and extradition. [AFP via My Texas Daily · news/research]
Accusations and charges
- He admitted to overseeing the production and smuggling of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl into the United States. [DeepNewz · news/research]
Key events
- On July 11, 2025 he pleaded guilty to four federal counts in a Chicago courtroom, becoming the first of the Chapitos to reach a plea deal. [DeepNewz · news/research]
- He agreed to 'full, truthful and ongoing' cooperation with U.S. authorities as part of the deal. [DeepNewz · news/research]
- The Southern District of New York withdrew its separate case against him on July 1, 2025 to concentrate proceedings in Illinois. [DeepNewz · news/research]
- He agreed to an $80 million penalty; prosecutors indicated they may seek less than the mandatory life sentence if his cooperation is substantial, with sentencing expected around January 2026. [DeepNewz · news/research]
- After his plea he was moved from Chicago's Metropolitan Correctional Center to an undisclosed facility. [DeepNewz · news/research]
- The DEA said the arrests of Ovidio and Joaquín marked the fall of two of Los Chapitos' four leaders. [AFP via My Texas Daily · news/research]
Other reported details
- The U.S. State Department had been offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction. [The Mazatlán Post, 2026-09-18 · news/research]
- As of late 2025 he is in U.S. custody awaiting sentencing and is cooperating with authorities. [DeepNewz · news/research]
Our coverage
- Juchitán Ex-Mayor ‘Quetu’ Ordered to Stand Trial: After a Mid-Hearing Lawyer Switch, Judge Keeps Him in El Altiplano and Gives Prosecutors 3 Months in Alleged CJNG ‘Los Cromos’ Case Sep 30, 2026
- 7 of 10 Killings in Oaxaca’s Isthmus Tied to CJNG-Allied ‘Los Cromos,’ Prosecutor Says, as Juchitán Mayor Miguel Sánchez ‘Quetu’ Faces a Judge — and 6 More Town Officials Are Under Investigation Sep 29, 2026
- ‘The Jail Is Now My Backyard’: Ex-Baja California Governor Ernesto Ruffo Home in Ensenada After 72 Days in El Altiplano Over Alleged U.S.-to-Mexico Fuel Smuggling by Rail Sep 28, 2026
- ‘Angustiadísimo’: El Chapo Offered to Give Up Sinaloa Cartel Secrets to Save Sons Kidnapped by El Mencho’s CJNG in Puerto Vallarta, Ex-Security Chief Says Sep 28, 2026
- Assault Rifles Riddle a Rafael Buelna Party Hall and a Rehab Center in Culiacán as Sinaloa’s Weekend Opens With 7 Killed Sep 26, 2026
- “They Were Tired and Old”: ‘La Chapodiputada’ Lucero Sánchez Says El Chapo and El Mayo Planned to Retire Together — and Didn’t Want Their Sons to Take Over Sep 26, 2026
- Pay 200,000 Pesos or End Up Like the Mayor’s Son: Tecamachalco, Puebla, Merchants Report Extortion Calls After Teen Mateo Hernández Is Kidnapped and Killed Sep 26, 2026
- Tucson’s ‘Queen of the South,’ Who Claimed She Dreamed Up Rainbow Fentanyl for the Sinaloa Cartel, Gets 17 Years Sep 25, 2026
Los Chapitos (Sinaloa Cartel) profile · More “Who is” profiles
Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. If you are named here and believe something is wrong, contact us via our corrections page.