Thread by @illicitinv

(1/10) #Culiacan #Sinaloa #Tijuana #BajaCalifornia We’re back with exclusive information! We got new details about the cooperation agreements involving Ovidio Guzmán López and his brother Joaquín, as well as the story behind how 17 of their relatives entered the United States. While the family’s attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman—who has vastly increased his fortune representing El Chapo and his sons—denies that the U.S. government granted entry to the Guzmán López family members as part of any deal, the truth can’t be hidden. The U.S. doesn't hand out privileges of that magnitude for free.

(2/10) Since September 2024, Ovidio Guzmán López had been trying to convince U.S. prosecutors to allow him to remove his closest relatives from Mexico, arguing their lives were in danger due to the ongoing war between his brother Iván and Ismael Zambada Sicairos, a.k.a. "El Mayito Flaco."

(3/10) After months of negotiations, the U.S. government agreed to grant special entry permits to 17 family members of Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán López so they could start a new life far from the violence in Sinaloa. Initially, Ovidio submitted a list of 27 names, but the U.S. only approved 17, who crossed into the U.S. through the San Ysidro Port of Entry on May 9.

(4/10) It’s important to clarify that this was not a voluntary surrender to U.S. immigration agents, as some media have claimed, but rather a pre-arranged crossing coordinated between Ovidio, Joaquín, their attorneys and the U.S. Department of Justice.

(5/10) On the morning of May 9, three King Air 200 aircraft arrived in Ensenada, Baja California, from Culiacán. On board were the closest relatives of Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán López, including their mother, Griselda López Pérez, one of El Chapo Guzmán’s wives.

(6/10) Also among them were Ovidio’s wife, Adriana Meza Torres, and their three daughters: Adriana, Griseli, and María Joaquina. Most of the individuals who crossed into the U.S. that day belong to the Guzmán López family, with two exceptions: Alejandrina Gisselle Guzmán Salazar and her husband Edgar Cázares. These two are part of the Guzmán Salazar branch and were the only members from that side accepted by the U.S. government.

(7/10) Once they arrived in Ensenada, the 17 family members were transported in Chevrolet Suburbans to Tijuana and dropped off at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The person in charge of this operation was Jaziel Abdiel Guzmán Araujo, son of “El Guano” and Ovidio Guzmán López’s most trusted cousin.

(8/10) But what did Ovidio and Joaquín provide in exchange for the U.S. welcoming these 17 relatives? Sources close to the case confirmed that the brothers delivered highly valuable intelligence, not only on the operations of the Sinaloa Cartel but also on other groups like that of Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, a.k.a. “El Chapo Isidro.” They also exposed connections between these criminal organizations and senior military and political figures within Mexico’s ruling Morena party, including Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal. Additionally, they provided the names of front companies and figureheads used by the Zambada family to launder drug money through industries such as hospitality, construction, and agriculture.

(9/10) Another major component of their cooperation involved a list of Chinese companies and individuals participating in the chemical supply chain for fentanyl production. Thanks to this information, the U.S. Department of Justice was able to identify dozens of companies responsible for manufacturing, importing, and laundering money linked to fentanyl, one of the top priorities of President Donald Trump’s administration.

(10/10) And what was the most significant part of Ovidio and Joaquín’s cooperation with U.S. prosecutors? The Guzmán López brothers handed over $14 billion to the United States government, including offshore bank accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, and properties in several cities across Mexico and worldwide. That staggering sum was the cherry on top that finally persuaded U.S. prosecutors to approve the entry of the 17 relatives. Ovidio will appear in court on July 9, 2025, to submit his guilty plea to Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman. Joaquín is due in court on June 2. (END)