The Trump administration’s approach to Mexico has chiefly revolved around aggressive deportation strategies and a determined effort to dismantle drug cartels. Recent reports from Mexican media indicate that U.S. authorities may have conducted a secretive operation that relocated at least 17 relatives of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, co-founder of the infamous Sinaloa cartel, to California.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her frustration on Wednesday, highlighting the lack of communication from U.S. officials regarding this operation, which involved transporting El Chapo’s family from Tijuana to San Diego. She emphasized the need for transparency as the U.S. and Mexico work together to combat drug trafficking.
Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s security chief, confirmed that the transfer was linked to negotiations between the U.S. Justice Department and representatives of Ovidio Guzmán López, one of El Chapo’s sons, who faces multiple federal charges, including drug smuggling. Ovidio was first detained in a heavily publicized incident in 2019 that resulted in chaos in Culiacán and was re-arrested in early 2023 following another violent confrontation. He has since been extradited to the U.S., where he may plead guilty as part of a potential negotiation.
The safety of El Chapo’s relatives is of concern, given the ongoing violence linked to the internal conflicts within the Sinaloa cartel. They were reportedly seen crossing the San Ysidro border with over $70,000 in cash and amidst tight security, suggesting heightened risks associated with their connection to the cartel.
Experts speculate that this could indicate a strategy where Guzmán López could potentially testify against other cartel members, such as Ismael Zambada García, a co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, in exchange for a more lenient sentence. The U.S. Justice Department has yet to clarify why Mexican officials were not notified about the family’s relocation, which raises questions about oversight or potential concerns about confidentiality.
This situation underscores the complexities of U.S.-Mexico relations, particularly in drug enforcement efforts, and highlights the shifting allegiances and power struggles within criminal organizations. As negotiations unfold, there remains hope that these developments could lead to greater cooperation between the two countries and contribute to stabilizing the ongoing violence associated with drug trafficking in Mexico.