𝗠𝗘𝗫𝗜𝗖𝗢'𝗦 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣 𝗔𝗗𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡'𝗦 𝗦𝗢𝗙𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗙 "𝗘𝗟 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗢'𝗦" 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 "𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚"

 

President Claudia Sheinbaum addressing 350,000 in the Mexico City zocalo 

Ovidio Guzmán López, a former Mexican drug trafficker and son of the infamous Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, rose to prominence as part of “Los Chapitos," a core group of siblings who inherited one of the world’s most brutal and profitable criminal enterprises: the Sinaloa Cartel. As a top supplier of fentanyl to the United States, Ovidio’s name became synonymous with serious bad shit on both sides of the border.

His capture in January 2023, during a dangerous joint operation in Culiacán cost Mexico the lives of a number of soldiers. Eight months later, he was extradited to the U.S. to face a litany of serious charges, including drug trafficking, firearms violations, and money laundering. 

As Guzmán reportedly prepares to enter a plea deal in U.S. court, Sheinbaum has openly condemned what she sees as a troubling pattern of leniency and backroom diplomacy. She has questioned the rationale of negotiating with a man once labeled a “narcoterrorist” by the very government now quietly striking deals with him. Her frustration is particularly pointed given the sacrifices made by Mexican forces during his arrest, a cost, she argues, that should not be repaid with secrecy and appeasement.

Adding fuel to her concerns are reports that 17 of Guzmán’s family members, including his former wife, were granted asylum in the U.S., allegedly as part of the deal. The family group was spotted crossing the Tijuana/San Diego border with $70,000 in cash. The U.S. Department of Justice, while not officially confirming the details, has made little effort to deny the quiet arrangement. Mexico’s Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch, acknowledged the family’s entry and stated plainly that none are wanted in Mexico.

Sheinbaum has made it clear that she considers the U.S. government’s actions not only inconsistent but insulting. 

"If Mexico risked lives to capture this man, the least the U.S. could do is coordinate with our Attorney General,” she remarked during a recent press conference. 

She also reminded Washington of its prior declarations: that drug cartels are terrorist organizations and that no deals would be made with such actors. Apparently, the rules are flexible, depending on who’s sitting at the negotiation table.

Ironically, even as U.S. prosecutors trumpet new “narcoterrorism” charges against other Sinaloa figures, the broader message seems muddled. On the same day Ovidio’s relatives were confirmed to be safely inside U.S. borders, a federal prosecutor warned cartel leaders: “You will be betrayed by your friends, hunted by your enemies, and end up in our courtroom.” 

Yet, from Sheinbaum’s vantage point, the U.S. courtroom is starting to look less like a reckoning and more like a revolving door, with cushioned landings for those with the right leverage.

          

"El Chapo's" son, Ovidio Guzmán López

Ovidio, one of four sons of El Chapo now steering what remains of the Sinaloa empire, stands as a symbol of both criminal legacy and international discord. His father, convicted and imprisoned in the U.S. since 2017, remains in solitary confinement in Colorado. 

Whether Ovidio’s plea deal will unveil cartel secrets or simply close another chapter with a shrug is unknown. What is clear, however, is that Mexico's president is no longer staying silent as the U.S. appears to trade tough talk for quiet compromise.