U.S. authorities offer $5 million bounties for each of El Chapo's sons as Mexico President López Obrador says American federal agents can't just arrest them on Mexican soil
The U.S. Department of State has offered $5 million rewards for any information that could help federal agents arrest the sons of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, but Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador declared that American federal agents won't be able to step on Mexican soil and apprehend them.
The bounties for the jailed Sinaloa Cartel co-founder’s four sons were announced Wednesday after President Joe Biden signed an executive order that would widen the U.S. Treasury Department’s capabilities in the fight against the illicit trade of narcotics across the world, including in the United States where more than 100,000 Americans have died from overdose during a stretch of 12 months that conclude in April.
Ovidio Guzmán López, Joaquín Guzmán López, Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán - otherwise known as ‘Los Chapitos - assumed leadership roles within the Sinaloa Cartel along with their uncle Aureliano ‘El Guano’ Guzmán and co-founder Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada after the infamous drug lord was arrested in Mexico in 2014 before his 2016 extradition to the United States, where he is serving a life sentence.
Ovidio Guzmán López, Joaquín Guzmán López and Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán were identified as leaders of a cartel faction, according to the Department of Treasury.
All three had been previously indicted on federal drug trafficking charges.
The U.S. Department of State announced Wednesday $5 million rewards for information leading to the arrest of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán's four sons, including Iván Archivaldo Guzmán (left) and Ovidio Guzmán López (right)
Joaquín Guzmán López is one El Chapo's four sons who are wanted by the United States. They are all charged with drug trafficking
With Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán serving a life sentence in the United States, his four sons have assumed control of the transnational drug trafficking organization
‘For years, the United States has been in the grips of the worst drug epidemic in its history, driven by overdose deaths involving heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl and an increase in methamphetamine availability,’ the Department of State said in a statement. ‘Transnational criminal organizations are largely responsible for bringing these drugs and related violence to our communities.’
Ovidio Guzmán López, Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán were all sanctioned by the Department of Treasury.
Aureliano Guzmán Loera, who is accused by the U.S. Department of State 'international' drug trafficking', also has $5 million bounty, which was announced in November.
The Department of State tripled its reward for Zambada to $15 million in September.
Despite the massive reward, Mexico President André Manuel López Obrador warned the United States that their federal agents can’t simple step on Mexican soil and apprehend El Chapo’s sons.
"If they are in national territory, it is up to the national authorities to stop it, foreign agencies are not allowed to do so,’ López Obrador said during a press conference Thursday.
Jesús Guzmán and his two brothers donated laptops, tablets, computer monitors, televisions and school supplies to the impoverished Culiacán neighborhood of Bicentennial Extension
Ovidio Guzmán López escaped being extradited to the United States on October 17, 2019 when the Mexican military tracked him down to a home in Culiacán, Sinaloa, after an arrest warrant was issued by a Washington, D.C., federal court judge as the U.S. sought to dismantle the cartel’s alleged fentanyl trafficking operations.
Chaos followed throughout the streets of Culiacán as cartel fighters led an assault that appeared to overwhelm the military and local police, who were met with grenade launchers and rifles.
Video showed Ovidio Guzmán López instructing Iván Archivaldo Guzmán to order their operatives to stand down.
Under orders of President López Obrador, security forces released Ovidio Guzmán López and withdrew from the residence.
By then at least 13 people had been killed in the military-like assault that was waged by cartel henchmen, who had also kidnapped military officials before releasing them.
Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Thursday warned the United States that American federal agents will not be allowed to just enter the country and arrest El Chapo's four son because 'if they are in national territory, it is up to the national authorities to stop it, foreign agencies are not allowed to do so'
Ovidio Guzmán stands down after the Mexican military raided his home in Culiacán, Mexico, on October 17, 2019, resulting in a violent response ordered by one of his siblings before Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ordered his release
Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán's Aureliano Guzmán-Loera is accused by the U.S. Department of State of 'international' drug trafficking. The agency announced a $5 million reward for information that could lead to his arrest and/or conviction
López Obrador in June 2020 revealed that it was his decision to release Ovidio Guzmán López because he wanted to save hundreds of innocent lives that were at stake.
He reiterated his ruling Thursday, indicating that only time will tell if he made the right choice.
‘That was a very special circumstance, it was an operation that was not executed well, with very few personnel, without supporting those who carried out the operation,” López Obrador said. "If we did well or did wrong, history will tell, I was the one who made the decision.”
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