President Claudia Sheinbaum has initiated a lawsuit for defamation against Jeffrey Lichtman, the U.S. attorney representing some of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán’s sons, known as “Los Chapitos.” This legal action follows inflammatory remarks made by Lichtman, which suggested the Mexican president behaves more like the public relations arm of a drug trafficking organization than a legitimate leader. These comments were posted on social media after Ovidio Guzmán’s guilty plea to drug trafficking in a Chicago federal court.
The controversy started when President Sheinbaum criticized the U.S. for its lack of transparency regarding Ovidio’s plea agreement. In reply, Lichtman challenged the appropriateness of involving the Mexican government in such cases, referencing a past decision in 2021 when Mexico released former Defense Minister Salvador Cienfuegos after charges in the U.S.
Lichtman further compared Mexico’s failure to apprehend drug lord Ismael Zambada to Pakistan’s inability to find Osama bin Laden, hinting at possible protection of criminals by Mexican officials. In response to Sheinbaum calling his comments “disrespectful,” the Mexican Federal Attorney General’s Office demanded evidence for these claims of government collusion with traffickers. This sparked Lichtman’s provocative social media post, which led to the defamation suit.
The Office of Legal Counsel (CJEF) officially filed the lawsuit in Mexico. President Sheinbaum has chosen not to engage further with Lichtman, stating she would not debate with “an attorney who defends drug traffickers.”
Lichtman, known for his previous role on El Chapo’s defense team, now represents Ovidio, Iván, Alfredo, and Joaquín Guzmán, who surrendered to U.S. authorities in July 2024.
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