Seventeen El Chapo Relatives Cross US Border Amid Chicago Plea Deal

Seventeen relatives of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, including his ex-wife Griselda López and other family members, have crossed into the United States, reportedly as part of negotiations linked to his son Ovidio Guzmán's impending guilty plea in a U.S. federal drug trafficking case. Ovidio, who was extradited to the U.S. in 2023 and initially pleaded not guilty, is scheduled to change his plea to guilty in July, signaling a possible deal with prosecutors. This family defection, involving a guarded border crossing and FBI involvement, suggests a potential cooperation by the Guzmán family against the Sinaloa cartel amid escalating cartel violence in Mexico. The Sinaloa cartel, historically controlled by El Chapo and now allegedly led by his sons known as 'Los Chapitos,' is accused of trafficking vast quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs into the U.S. The move to the U.S. by the family members is seen as a protection measure from cartel retaliation and may mark a significant shift in the cartel's operations and influence. Authorities have linked these developments to broader efforts to dismantle the cartel's drug trafficking network and have charged several cartel operatives with narco-terrorism.