Ryan Lucas

He was arrested by U.S.

authorities in July 2024 in Texas, along with Ismael Elmayo Zambada-Garcia, who helped found the Sinaloa cartel and was one of Mexico's biggest drug lords.

Guzman Lopez is the latest senior Sinaloa cartel figure to plead guilty in U.S.

federal court, following his brother, Ovidio, as well as Elmayo, who both pleaded guilty earlier this year.

Guzman Lopez's father, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, was convicted in 2019 for his role leading the Sinaloa cartel and is currently serving a life sentence in U.S.

prison.

Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.

What Judge Curry found is that Halligan's appointment violates a statute that governs interim U.S.

attorney appointments as well as the appointments clause of the U.S.

Constitution.

And because of that, the judge says in her ruling,

Everything that came after Halligan was appointed, including the indictments against both Comey and James, all of that was unlawful.

And so she dismissed this case, but she did so without prejudice.

And that means the Justice Department could, in theory, refile the charges, although it's unclear how exactly that would look.

With Comey, there's an added complication, and that's that the statute of limitations has now passed.

Our laws are clear.

What Judge Curry found is that Halligan's appointment violates a statute that governs interim U.S.

attorney appointments, as well as the appointments clause of the U.S.

Constitution.

And because of that, the judge says in her ruling,