While Mexico remains silent, the United States executes with surgical precision an operation that reconfigures the drug map: 17 direct relatives of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán crossed the border through the San Ysidro, California port of entry, where they were already awaited by FBI agents.
The group included Griselda López Pérez, mother of Ovidio Guzmán, as well as a daughter, a grandson identified as Archibaldo, several nephews, and a son-in-law of the former kingpin. The family flew from Culiacán to Tijuana and presented themselves last Friday at the border checkpoint, carrying top-level suitcases and at least $70,000 in cash.
Change of loyalties in the Sinaloa Cartel?
Federal sources consulted by this outlet indicate that the surrender was not coincidental. It coincides with the expected modification of Ovidio Guzmán's guilty plea, scheduled for next June 6 before a U.S. court. It is presumed that, as part of a possible collaboration agreement with U.S. authorities, Ovidio demanded the extraction and protection of his closest family nucleus.
Beyond the family drama, this event reflects an internal rift. The surrender could be interpreted as a sign of a break within the leadership of the Chapitos, or as a desperate measure to protect human assets before a new violent phase escalates in Sinaloa.
Mexico: in the shadow of the operation
President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged in a conference that the federal government has not received official information from the U.S. Department of Justice about the Guzmán group's entry into U.S. territory. The Attorney General's Office has formally requested details of the case, but so far Washington has acted with complete discretion, sidelining Mexico from the process.
What’s next for the cartel leaders?
The key question now is: how will Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, El Flaquito, and Chapito Isidro react to what seems like a negotiated move? The family exodus seems to confirm that the cartel's leadership already anticipates a forced realignment, whether by betrayal, pressure, or survival.
For now, the Guzmán operation is already underway. And it is not being executed in the mountains of Sinaloa, but in the corridors of the U.S. Department of Justice.
