More Relatives of 'El Chapo' Will Likely Reach The U.S., Former DHS Official Claims

A former official at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said he expects more relatives of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to cross the border into the U.S. and surrender themselves to American authorities.

Oscar Hagelsieb, former head of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Mexico's Ciudad Juarez said the 17 members of the Guzman family who crossed into the U.S. earlier this month "won't be the last."

"What I can tell you, and I know it from a source high-up, is that they won't be the last to receive the benefit," Hagelsieb told journalist Luis Chaparro.

The move has been confirmed by Mexican Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, who detailed the move was part of a negotiated agreement tied to younger son Ovidio Guzmán's legal process with U.S. authorities.

Among the relatives who surrendered is Griselda López Pérez, Ovidio's mother and former wife of El Chapo. "It is an agreement between a defendant and the authorities," Harfuch said during an interview reported by El País on Tuesday.

Members of the Guzman family crossed into the U.S. at the San Ysidro port of entry, reportedly on May 9, after traveling from Culiacán, Sinaloa. U.S. federal agents were waiting for them on the other side following the reported plea deal in progress between Ovidio Guzmán and the DOJ.

Ovidio Guzman, who was extradited to the U.S. in September 2023 after his capture by Mexican forces in January of that year, is expected to plead guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges during a hearing scheduled for July 9 in Chicago.

Journalist Luis Chaparro, who first reported the family's coordinated crossing, stated that the move was part of a broader request by Ovidio to ensure the safety of his relatives amid ongoing violence in Sinaloa:

A Mexican national security analyst claims that the move is part of a coordinated strategy that reflects a calculated decision within the cartel. Speaking to Luis Chaparro, , Saucedo argued that the move is not a surrender, but a division of roles designed to maintain operational control while gaining protection and legal advantages through cooperation with U.S. authorities.

Saucedo went on to claim that the Guzmán family appears to have made what he called a "corporate decision": one faction, including Ovidio Guzmán López, is cooperating with the U.S. Department of Justice and entering witness protection, while another — led by Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán — remains in Mexico continuing cartel operations: