17 Family Members of ‘El Chapo’ Guzman Reported to Have Surrendered to US Authorities

This voluntary surrender adds to the extradition of Ovidio Guzman in 2023 and deepens the pressure on Los Chapo’s inner circle.

This weekend, 17 family members of Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán turned themselves in to the U.S. government, among them Griselda López Pérez, the drug trafficker’s ex-wife and mother of Ovidio Guzmán López.

With two suitcases and $70

According to information from journalist Luis Chaparro, El Chapo’s family members turned themselves in to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at one of the international bridges between Mexico and the United States.

“According to reports from our sources, the family turned themselves in to the FBI at noon last Friday at the border port of San Isidro, in Tijuana. And according to information from the same sources, among these people is Griselda Lopez, mother of Ovidio,” he added.

According to this version, each of El Chapo Guzman’s family members crossed with at least two suitcases and together they were carrying $70,000.

Among the people who crossed, there was also a grandson of the former Sinaloa Cartel leader, a daughter and several nephews and nieces.

Chaparro showed images showing a group of people with suitcases, presumably the drug lord’s family waiting to cross into US territory.

On May 6, it was reported in a court notice that Ovidio Guzmán López reached an agreement with U.S. authorities to plead guilty to various drug trafficking charges before a federal judge in Chicago.

Federal court records indicate that Ovidio’s next hearing was rescheduled for July 9, where he will enter into an agreement to waive his right to stand trial in exchange for a recommendation for a reduced sentence.

The fall of the Guzmán empire

Since the arrest and subsequent extradition of Joaquín Guzmán in 2017, the cartel’s leadership has undergone internal reconfigurations.

A faction led by his sons, known as Los Chapitos, has been accused of being responsible for multiple shipments of fentanyl to the United States, an activity that has led to sanctions by the Treasury Department, the inclusion of several of them on the DEA’s most wanted list, and joint operations between the two countries.

In April 2023, Ovidio Guzmán López, one of El Chapo’s sons, was extradited to the United States, where he faces charges of conspiracy to import methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. 

His capture and surrender marked a turning point in the pressure on the Sinaloa drug trafficker’s core family.

The recent surrender of more members of the Guzmán clan represents a new chapter in the US government’s efforts to completely dismantle the operational and family structure that has sustained the cartel for decades.

Ovidio Guzman to plead guilty after reaching deal with U.S.

Ovidio Guzmán will plead guilty to various drug trafficking charges before a federal judge in Chicago at a hearing scheduled for July 9, after reaching an agreement with U.S. prosecutors.

A court notice filed in federal court records on Tuesday, May 6, announced the cancellation of the hearing that had been scheduled for Monday. 

This follows the announcement that the parties reached an agreement that will allow the defendant to plead guilty, waiving his right to go to trial, in exchange for a recommendation for a reduced sentence.

It is also possible that the agreement implies some prior or future commitment for Ovidio Guzmán to be a witness in other proceedings.

Source: Milenio