Mexican Drug Lord El Chapo’s Ex-Wife Among Relatives Who Surrendered To US: Report

At least 17 family of drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera crossed the US border as a part of a secret plea settlement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officers, a number of stories mentioned. The group, which turned themselves in to the FBI on the border between Tijuana/San Diego, included the ex-wife of the infamous former Sinaloa drug cartel boss and their daughter, Mexico News Daily reported.

The give up is reportedly tied to a secret plea take care of the US authorities in reference to the case in opposition to El Chapo’s son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, also referred to as “El Raton” or “The Mouse.”

On Monday, journalist Luis Chaparro mentioned on his on-line programme, Pie de Nota, that Griselda and a daughter of Guzman had been amongst those that crossed into the United States.

“According to the stories from our sources, the household turned themselves in to the FBI at noon final Friday on the San Ysidro port of entry in Tijuana. According to the knowledge from the identical sources, amongst these individuals are Griselda Lopez, mom of Ovidio, a number of nephews and nieces, a grandson by the identify of Archivaldo, and a daughter of Chapo, along with a son-in-law,” the journalist was quoted as saying by the Mexico News Daily.

Mr Chaparro added it was unclear why the relations handed themselves in to the FBI.

Speaking with the Spanish-language outlet Radio Formula on Wednesday, Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch mentioned, “It’s clear that along with his household going to the United States, it is related to this negotiation or plea deal alternative offered by the Department of Justice itself.”

Ovidio was extradited to the US in September 2023, eight months after being apprehended in an enormous operation by closely armed Mexican police that left 29 useless. Lopez, 35, one of many 4 El Chapo’s sons, was charged with drug trafficking, cash laundering and different counts. His plea listening to is scheduled for July 9.

Griselda Lopez Perez and her family reportedly carried greater than US$ $70,000 in money after they crossed the border. “This act of getting his household to security may very well be an indication that Los Chapitos is likely to be dropping the struggle in Sinaloa or that the struggle goes to get rather a lot worse,” Chaparro added.

The phrases of the potential plea supply and its connection to the household’s arrival within the US haven’t been disclosed by US prosecutors, The New York Post reported.

The elder Guzman was arrested and extradited to the United States in 2017, the place he was ultimately convicted of narcotics trafficking, cash laundering, and different counts and sentenced to life in jail.