A statue of Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was earlier this month found guilty of trafficking over 130 tons of drugs into the US by a New York jury (RASHIDE FRIAS)

New York (AFP) – Two sons of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman — both on the run in Mexico — have been charged with drug trafficking by US authorities, the Department of Justice said Thursday.

Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 34, and 28-year-old Ovidio Guzman Lopez, were accused last year of conspiring to distribute cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine from Mexico and other countries into the US between 2008 and 2018.

The indictment was revealed Thursday, having only been unsealed last week to protect the investigation and witnesses.

If convicted, the pair face a minimum sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison.

“El Chapo” was earlier this month found guilty of trafficking over 130 tons of drugs into the US by a New York jury. Facing a mandatory sentence of life behind bars, which will be announced on June 25. 

Another of his sons, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, was charged with several drug trafficking offenses in 2014 and remains on the DEA’s 10 most wanted list. 

Another son, Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, was also implicated in drug trafficking by Mexican authorities.

“El Chapo” has several children with different women. The youngest, seven-year-old twin girls, attended several of their father’s court hearings and one day of his trial at a Brooklyn federal court alongside their mother, former beauty queen Emma Coronel.

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