CRIME
Who is Ovidio Guzman, the son of ‘El Chapo’ arrested in Culiacán? Drug cartel, family, nickname...
The son of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán has been extradited to the US on drug trafficking charges after spending the year in custody in Mexico.
It has been announced that Ovidio Guzmán López “El Ratón”, son of drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, has been extradited to the US.
He is suspected of leading the Sinaloa cartel in his father’s absence.
“This action is the most recent step in the Justice Department’s effort to attack every aspect of the cartel’s operations,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement regarding the extradition.
“The fight against the cartels has involved incredible courage by United States law enforcement and Mexican law enforcement and military servicemembers, many of whom have given their lives in the pursuit of justice.”
Ovidio was arrested for the first time in 2019, but was later released, after threats were made towards the population of Culiacán by the gang. He was arrested again in January 2023 and held until the extradition.
Who is Ovidio Guzmán?
Ovidio is the son of Joaquín Guzmán and his second wife, Griselda López Pérez. He is 31 years old and is recognised as a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Ovidio and his brothers face various charges in the United States for conspiracy to traffic cocaine, methamphetamines and marijuana. Known as ‘Los Chapitos’ (The Little Chapos), Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, Ovidio Guzmán López, and Joaquín Guzmán López are thought to have attained senior roles in their father’s drug empire after his jailing in 2019. There was a $5 million bounty on each of the brother’s heads.
“Other information indicates that Ovidio Guzmán-López has ordered the murders of informants, a drug trafficker, and a popular Mexican singer who had refused to sing at his wedding,” the reward offer said.