At least 17 individuals connected to Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera have crossed into the US as part of a covert judicial arrangement with the FBI, according to reports. Among those who surrendered at the Tijuana/San Diego border were the notorious former leader of the Sinaloan drug cartel and the ex-wife of his daughter, as noted by Mexico News.
This surrender seems to be tied to a hidden plea agreement with the US authorities related to the case against Ovidio Guzman Lopez, El Chapo’s son, who is also known as “Elraton” or “Mouse.”
On Monday, journalist Louis Chaparo mentioned during his online program, Pai de Notta, that Griselda and Guzman’s daughters were part of the group that went to the US.
“Reports indicate that the family contacted the FBI at the immigration port in San Isidro, Tijuana last Friday. Our sources indicate that among them are Ovidio’s mother and some of his children,” said Chaparo, referencing a Mexican news outlet.
He added that it’s uncertain why the family decided to turn themselves over to the FBI.
Speaking to Spanish media outlet Radio Formula on Wednesday, Mexican security secretary Omar Garcia Halfucci stated, “It is evident that when his family travels to the US, it relates to this negotiation or plea bargain opportunity put forward by the Department of Justice.”
Ovidio was extradited to the US in September 2023, following his arrest in a major operation by heavily armed Mexican police that resulted in 29 fatalities. Lopez, 35, one of El Chapo’s four sons, faces charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and other offenses. His plea hearing is set for July 9.
Reportedly, Griselda Lopez Perez and her parents had over 70,000 US dollars in cash when they entered the US. “This move to protect his family could signal that Los Chapitos have either lost their grip in Sinaloa or that the conflict is escalating,” Chaparo commented.
The specific nature of any possible judicial offer concerning the family’s arrival in the US has not been disclosed by US prosecutors.
El Chapo was apprehended in 2017 and subsequently extradited to the US, where he was convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering, among other charges, and sentenced to life in prison.
