Seventeen relatives of Ovidio Guzmán, a son of Sinaloa cartel co-founder Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, have travelled to the United States as part of his negotiations with US authorities, Mexico’s security minister has confirmed.
Ovidio Guzmán, known as “El Ratón” (The Mouse), was extradited to the US in 2023 to face narcotics charges. He pleaded not guilty in a Chicago district court last year but is believed to be seeking a plea deal. Mexico’s security minister, Omar García Harfuch, said the family members crossed the border “due to this negotiation”.
García Harfuch stated that the relatives were not wanted by Mexican authorities and urged the US Department of Justice to share information about the case. The department declined to comment. A court hearing scheduled for 12 May was cancelled and rescheduled for 9 July, when a “change of plea agreement” is expected before a judge in Illinois.
Ovidio Guzmán is accused of conspiring to ship cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States. His father, El Chapo, is serving a life sentence in a US prison. The US accuses El Chapo’s sons, known as the Chapitos, of taking over the Sinaloa cartel after his capture.
The Sinaloa cartel is one of six Mexican drug trafficking groups designated as terrorist organisations by former US President Donald Trump. Recent arrests of cartel members have sparked infighting in Sinaloa state, leaving more than 1,200 people dead and 1,400 missing.
