By Steve Neavling
Several relatives of Ovidio Guzmán López, the son of drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, crossed into the U.S. last week and surrendered to federal authorities — a move that Mexican officials say likely stems from a cooperation deal with the Justice Department, The New York Times reports.
Mexico’s secretary of security, Omar García Harfuch, confirmed the crossing on Tuesday and said it appeared to be tied to a plea agreement involving Guzmán López, who was extradited to the U.S. last year on drug trafficking charges. He is expected to plead guilty in federal court, becoming the first of El Chapo’s sons — known collectively as “Los Chapitos” — to do so.
While U.S. officials have not publicly disclosed details of any agreement, García Harfuch said the relatives were not criminal targets in Mexico and speculated that Guzmán López was naming members of criminal groups as part of a deal. The development has sparked intense speculation in Mexico about who could be implicated next.
“The Chapitos are going to sing, and we’re going to learn many things,” Senator Ricardo Anaya, an opposition lawmaker, told reporters this week. “Because the North American government doesn’t offer immunity in exchange for nothing, they offer it in exchange for information.”
