US Court Delays Ovidio Guzmán López Sentencing Until After El Mayo Zambada Verdict

U.S. federal judge Sharon Johnson Coleman in Chicago moved the sentencing hearing for Ovidio Guzmán López, son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, to July 10‑27 to allow a detailed review of the prosecution’s cooperation reports. The rescheduling places the hearing a week after a Brooklyn court is expected to hand down a sentence for Sinaloa cartel co‑founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, who has agreed to life imprisonment and is seeking placement in a medical prison due to diabetes.

The timing ties to Mexico’s request for U.S. clarification after Zambada’s recent kidnapping. Ovidio had vanished from the Federal Bureau of Prisons register shortly before his brother Joaquín arrived in New Mexico with Zambada. Uncorroborated reports suggest that the remaining Guzmán brothers, Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo, may wait for the outcomes before considering surrender.