Relatives of ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán Surrender to U.S. Authorities at the Mexico Border

Relatives of El Chapo

Cross the border and surrender

Includes ex-wife Griselda López

A group of 17 relatives of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán crossed the Mexico–United States border last weekend to voluntarily surrender to U.S. authorities.

The group was received at the San Ysidro border crossing in California by agents from the U.S. Marshals Service, according to multiple reports from Mexican and American media outlets.

Among those who turned themselves in was Griselda López Pérez, the ex-wife of the Sinaloa Cartel leader and mother of Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán López, two of the kingpin’s most well-known sons.

In a video shared on social media, several people can be seen standing in line, carrying suitcases.

Official Response and Legal Context

Relatives of El Chapo surrender to U.S. authorities – Photo: Mezcalent

It is presumed that these individuals are the same relatives of Guzmán who crossed into the U.S., although Noticias Telemundo has not been able to confirm the authenticity of the footage.

The event comes amid increasing legal pressure on El Chapo’s inner circle. He has been serving a life sentence since 2019 in a maximum-security prison in Colorado.

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The Mexican government has not provided specific details regarding the family’s surrender.

President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Monday morning that she had no official information on the matter and noted that it is the responsibility of U.S. authorities to notify their Mexican counterparts.

Pending Charges and Family Structure

According to reports from Mexican media outlets such as El Universal and Milenio, each person who surrendered was carrying two suitcases and $70,000 in cash.

One of Griselda López’s sons, Ovidio Guzmán López—also known as «El Ratón»—is currently detained in the United States and is expected to plead guilty to drug trafficking charges on July 9.

Ovidio, 34, was captured in Mexico and extradited to the U.S., where he faces charges related to fentanyl trafficking and other serious federal crimes.

His brother, Joaquín Guzmán López, is also facing drug trafficking charges and was arrested in Texas after landing on a flight from Mexico, accompanied by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.

Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán family surrender in #US.
Seventeen of El Chapo’s relatives, including Griselda López, mother of Ovidio, turned themselves in to the FBI in San Ysidro, Tijuana.
They arrived with permanent visas as part of negotiations by Ovidio Guzmán. pic.twitter.com/ldB8yGW8HM

– Josue Aguilar (@josuealeexis) May 12, 2025

Profile of Griselda López and Possible Implications

Zambada, a long-standing leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, has evaded capture by both Mexican and U.S. authorities for years.

The arrest of the Guzmán López brothers and the voluntary surrender of several family members mark a significant shift in the crackdown on the cartel, which is considered one of the most dangerous and powerful in the Western Hemisphere.

Griselda López, also known by the alias Karla Pérez Rojo, is the mother of four of El Chapo’s children: Griselda Guadalupe, Ovidio, Joaquín (also known as “El Güero Moreno”), and Édgar Guzmán López, the latter of whom was murdered in 2008.

Her name appears on the sanctions list of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which imposes financial restrictions and legal prohibitions.

? Family of Joaquín «El Chapo» Guzmán Surrenders to the FBI
Seventeen of El Chapo’s relatives, including Griselda López, mother of Ovidio, turned themselves in to the FBI in San Ysidro, Tijuana.
pic.twitter.com/kdvsd97R1V
— POSTA Edomex (@POSTAEdomex) May 13, 2025

In addition to Griselda, El Chapo was previously married to María Alejandrina Salazar Hernández, and later to Emma Coronel Aispuro, who was also arrested and recently released after serving part of her sentence.

Analysts suggest that the joint surrender of so many family members may be tied to judicial cooperation agreements or efforts to reduce sentences as part of a broader legal strategy against the cartel.

So far, U.S. authorities have not released detailed statements about the reasons for the voluntary surrender or the immediate legal status of those involved.

Formal charges or court agreements are expected to be announced in the coming days, which may help clarify this unexpected development, as reported by Telemundo, Milenio, and El Universal.