‘Los Chapitos’ Controlled Global Drug Trafficking and Now Hide Behind Word-of-Mouth Messages

Today we will discuss one of the key factions in the Sinaloa war—that of “Los Chapitos”—and a crisis that calls its future into question. The organization, now coordinated solely by Iván Archivaldo Guzmán—the last of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s sons still at liberty—finds itself at a critical juncture.

It is weakened and, according to top-tier information we obtained, its operatives are cornered, in hiding, and severely restricted in their communications; they rely almost entirely on word-of-mouth messages for fear of interception or detection. This has eroded the level of coordination once maintained by this organization, which was at one time among the most powerful in the world. 

Iván Archivaldo himself is isolated. High-level sources confirm to Milenio that he is living in seclusion with no outside contacts, while his radio communications are increasingly compromised by intelligence services awaiting the moment for final triangulation to pinpoint his exact location. 

The net is closing in, and the endgame for this organization—which once dominated drug trafficking in Mexico—may be just weeks away. Since the surrender of Joaquín Guzmán López and the abduction of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in July 2024, the Guzmán clan has suffered a gradual decline. 

The federal strategy has cornered El Chapo’s heirs. The Mexican Army is concentrating its ground-based pressure on Culiacán, Badiraguato, and the northern region of Ahome and Guasave. Meanwhile, the Navy is covering the coastline with bases in Mazatlán, Topolobampo, Altata, and Navolato. 

Operations in these areas reveal the active fronts of an unrelenting war. Since September 2024, the protective ring surrounding “Los Chapitos” has been dismantled. “El Pigi” fell in 2024, followed by “El 27” and “El Panu” in 2025. This July, “El Texas”—the boss of the Culiacán territory—was killed.

“Delta 10” also fell in Sonora, and “El Gabito” was arrested in Mazatlán. Their financial engine was likewise stifled. The pilot “El Jando” and operators Kevin and Giovanni were captured, as were “El Niño” and “El Siete”—Iván Archivaldo’s father-in-law and brother-in-law, respectively, who were responsible for money laundering—in Popa, Jalisco. 

On the political front, an indictment from the Southern District of New York against the Sinaloa government exposed a network of complicity involving Governor Rubén Rocha Moya, Senator Enrique Inzunza, and the mayor of Culiacán. Although they face no charges in Mexico, the U.S. allegations shattered their political credibility. 

Federal sources confirmed to Milenio that Iván Archivaldo is isolated, communicating only through trusted messengers. Over the course of two years, the federal strategy has neutralized a significant portion of the criminal organization’s offensive capabilities, leaving it in an irreversible process of disintegration.

Source: Milenio