Two offspring of notorious Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman are reportedly engaged in talks with US authorities regarding their potential surrender. Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar heads Los Chapitos, a significant drug trafficking group in Mexico and one of the two factions that surfaced after his father’s last arrest in 2016. US authorities have put up a $10 million reward for his capture.
Ivan, accompanied by his brother Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, is still on the run. Meanwhile, Ovidio Guzman Lopez and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, El Chapo’s other sons involved in the cartel, have been apprehended in recent times and are currently in US custody.
As per the LA Times, sources indicate that Ivan and his younger sibling have been deliberating on the option of surrendering to US authorities. These discussions have been ongoing for about a year, with the fugitive brothers possibly waiting to observe the outcomes of their half-siblings’ legal proceedings in US courts before making a final choice.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez, arrested with Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, a former Sinaloa Cartel leader alongside El Chapo, in July 2024, admitted to drug trafficking and money laundering charges before US authorities in December. It was revealed during the trial that he was responsible for kidnapping El Mayo before handing him over to the US. Both he and Ovidio have been cooperating with law enforcement.
Should Ivan face trial in the US, it remains uncertain whether he will be accused in connection to El Mayo’s abduction. The LA Times also mentioned that the aircraft transporting El Mayo to the US was allegedly owned by Ivan.
According to the US Department of State, Ivan and Jesus hold leadership positions within the Sinaloa Cartel, overseeing its fentanyl trafficking operations. This includes managing the flow of fentanyl into the US, importing fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to Mexico, and handling drug profits for Sinaloa Cartel members and associates. The department asserts that Ivan is accountable for coordinating the trafficking of various controlled substances for the cartel, such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana.
