New Alleged Image Of Cartel Leader And Son Of 'El Chapo' Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Reportedly Revealed

A Mexican journalist confirmed the authenticity of a new image of Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, son of "El Chapo" Guzman and leader of the "Chapitos" faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The image was published on X by account crux1469, which has tens of thousands of followers but does not reveal its identity. Infobae noted that the account is well known for publishing images and information related to the Sinaloa Cartel.

The image's authenticity was confirmed by specialized journalist Jose Luis Montenegro, who said it is nonetheless a few years old. It shows the man alleged to be Guzman Salazar sitting in a car and wearing a checked shirt. He has a kid on his lap who is also wearing a shirt.

"This photo is old. I can confirm it's completely real. It is from the year 2014, perhaps 2015. It is Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, leader of the 'Chapitos' faction, along with his younger son, who is currently close to finishing middle school," Montenegro said in a social media publication.

Guzman is being actively hunted by ICE and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Together with Alfredo Guzmán, another one of El Chapo's sons, they were the most visible of the children involved in the Sinaloa Cartel's businesses. Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is believed to have between 12 or 13 children.

With a $10 million bounty on his head, offered by the DEA, Iván is regarded as one of the most influential drug traffickers in the world, solidifying his position in the cartel after the downfall of both his father and the infamous Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, as well as his two brothers, Ovidio Guzman Lopez and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, falling into the hands of the United States.

Even before his brothers went to jail and El Mayo was captured, Iván had a very important role in the cartel. Now he is considered to be the main leader of Los Chapitos, which is taking over and allegedly spearheading much of the current violence in the state. Iván's influence extends to states like Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, and Baja California, where he has maintained control and engaged in violent turf wars with rivals, including factions loyal to El Mayo Zambada and Rafael Caro Quintero's Cártel de Caborca. The internal conflicts within the Sinaloa Cartel have resulted in continuous violence, as Iván and his brothers seek to maintain their dominance.

Los Chapitos have also cultivated a loyal network of armed groups, including the infamous Los Ninis, which has been responsible for protecting the cartel's leaders and carrying out violent operations against their enemies. Iván's leadership has been marked by a brutal approach to maintaining control, as demonstrated by his increasing reliance on armed enforcers and his ruthless expansion of the cartel's drug trafficking operations.