Mexican Government to File Defamation Lawsuit Against Lawyer for El Chapo's Son

Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, plans to file a defamation lawsuit against the lawyer of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of drug lord "El Chapo". The lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, previously called the Mexican government "corrupt" and the idea of Mexico's involvement in Guzman Lopez's guilty plea "absurd". Sheinbaum has publicly clashed with Lichtman over the matter.

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced plans to file a defamation lawsuit against Jeffrey Lichtman, the attorney of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The move comes after Lichtman publicly criticized the Mexican government, describing it as "corrupt" and the plea deal involving Guzman Lopez as "absurd" [1].

Sheinbaum had previously called for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to share information regarding the arrest of Guzman and his brother, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, citing the ongoing turf war between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel [1]. Lichtman, however, dismissed the request as unnecessary, citing the case of former Defense Secretary Salvador Cienfuegos, who was exonerated after being extradited to the U.S. [1].

In response to Sheinbaum's comments, Lichtman accused the Mexican government of acting as a "public relations arm of a narcotics trafficking organization" [1]. This public clash has escalated tensions between the two parties, with Sheinbaum now planning legal action against Lichtman.

The legal battle comes as Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to four charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms charges, as part of a plea deal with U.S. authorities [2][3]. The agreement, which includes Guzman Lopez's cooperation with federal prosecutors, could lead to a significantly reduced sentence [2][3].

The ongoing power struggle within the Sinaloa Cartel, triggered by the arrests of Guzman Lopez and Zambada, has resulted in over 1,200 deaths and about 1,400 missing persons in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa [3].

References:
[1] https://www.inkl.com/news/ovidio-guzman-s-lawyer-slams-mexico-s-sheinbaum-over-criticism-of-plea-deal-with-u-s-she-acts-as-the-pr-arm-of-a-narco-organization
[2] https://www.straitstimes.com/world/el-chapos-son-ovidio-guzman-lopez-pleads-guilty-to-us-drug-charges
[3] https://www.dw.com/en/son-of-mexicos-el-chapo-pleads-guilty-in-us-drugs-case/a-73249160