July is shaping up to be a turning point for drug trafficking in Mexico following Ovidio Guzmán López's guilty plea last week in a federal court in Chicago.
Also known as "El Ratón," Guzmán López, the son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, reached a plea agreement with U.S. prosecutors in exchange for a reduced sentence and protection for members of the Guzmán family. The deal was brokered with the help of his attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, who also represented El Chapo during his 2019 trial.
According to investigative journalist José Luis Montenegro, Lichtman is now shaping a public narrative around Guzmán López that echoes recent efforts to change how the public views Erik and Lyle Menéndez, the brothers convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents in Beverly Hills.
In the latest episode of his Narcomundo podcast, Montenegro said the legal strategy for Guzmán López after pleading guilty appears focused on reshaping his image. Rather than emphasizing criminal charges, the approach highlights Guzmán López's emotional struggles, health conditions and contradictions in the way the Mexican government has portrayed and handled his case.
"I believe Jeffrey Lichtman is relying on that kind of media-driven, disruptive legal defense," Montenegro said.
Both Montenegro and fellow journalist Jesús Lemus noted that Lichtman is working to distance Guzmán López from the stereotypical image of a violent drug trafficker by portraying him as vulnerable and emotionally unstable, with strained ties to the top ranks of the Sinaloa Cartel.
"Ovidio Guzmán was not someone known for trafficking drugs or showing off his wealth. He liked horseback riding and caring for livestock," Montenegro said, adding that this portrayal is in sharp contrast to the version promoted by the Mexican government.
In the same podcast episode, Montenegro said El Ratón has often been described as nervous, isolated and depressed, with no close criminal connection to his half-brothers Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar. According to testimony cited by Montenegro, the brothers initially did not even recognize him as part of the Los Chapitos core group.
Montenegro's comments align with observations made by reporters who attended the court hearing. According to Infobae México, Guzmán López appeared visibly emaciated and confirmed that he suffers from clinical depression and is undergoing psychiatric treatment.
Montenegro and Lemus argue that the Guzmán López case parallels that of the Menéndez brothers, who in May 2025 had their life sentences reduced to 50 years with the possibility of parole after 35 years behind bars.
Through documentaries, family support and even a Netflix series based on their lives, the Menéndez brothers' story has been reframed in the public eye. That shift in perception has extended to U.S. prosecutors, who are now re-evaluating the case in light of new evidence.
As reported by The Latin Times, testimony from former Menudo member Roy Roselló and a cousin of the Menéndez brothers introduced new allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of their father, José Menéndez, which had not been previously considered.
In May, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic granted a new hearing and reduced the brothers' sentences, making them eligible for parole under California's Youthful Offender Act. He noted that while the crime was brutal, both Erik and Lyle had shown significant rehabilitation over more than three decades in prison.
Much like the Menéndez case, the defense of Guzmán López seems less focused on proving innocence and more on reshaping how he is perceived by the public. By emphasizing trauma, emotional struggles and strained family ties, Montenegro and Lemus argue that Lichtman is betting public opinion can shift the narrative around his client.
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