I’m fortunate to be part of this story; I won’t let them down: Los Chapitos’ attorney

“It was 9:30 a.m. in the Chicago courtroom when I saw Joaquín Guzmán, and I felt fortunate. I felt that way because, as I entered the courtroom, I was thinking that I was capable of not only being a witness to history, because that’s what this is, but also being a part of it.”

These words were spoken by criminal defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman, the defense attorney for Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s children, in an episode of his podcast titled “Beyond Legal Limits,” published on Spotify a few days after Joaquín Guzmán López’s initial hearing after voluntarily surrendering in August 2024.

In this episode, the litigator (who in recent days has launched a rhetorical offensive against President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration) reflects on what it has meant to his career to be the Guzmán family’s defense attorney, and he doesn’t hesitate to describe it as a privilege and a responsibility.

“In my life, I hold the hands and destiny of all these people,” he says at another point in the episode.
Lichtman recounts that his contact with the “narco-family” began when he arrived as a last-minute replacement to defend Joaquín Guzmán Loera, who had issues with his first team of lawyers.

Although the outcome wasn’t what he expected, as the drug lord was ultimately sentenced, the litigant said Joaquín and his family were happy with his representation, and since then, he has become their preferred lawyer.