Ovidio Guzmán’s defeat and negotiation: The hope of ‘saving’ his family

Blue shirt unbuttoned, scapular of the Holy Child of Atocha around his neck, hands raised. “I’ve already surrendered. Stop everything, please. Calm down, there’s no other way… I don’t want any more chaos.”

This is Ovidio Guzmán on October 17, 2019. Click. “Many citizens, many human beings, were at risk. The decision was made to protect people’s lives.” This is Andrés Manuel López Obrador the next day, confirming the release of El Chapo’s son.

A town in Sinaloa, Jesús María, turned into a carpet of shell casings and shattered glass; burned-out cars, bloody uniforms, the remains of a pitched battle. Click. The Secretary of Defense announces the success of a crushing blow to Mexican drug trafficking: El Ratón, now, on January 5, 2023, has been captured.

Flaco, wearing prisoner uniform number 5684, Ovidio is headed to Chicago. Click. Ismael El Mayo Zambada lands in Santa Teresa, Texas, on a plane also carrying Joaquín Guzmán López. Click. Ovidio Guzmán reaches a deal with the US Attorney’s Office, pleading guilty and handing over information about the Sinaloa Cartel. After five years and six and a half months in the spotlight, the criminal journey of El Chapo Guzmán’s youngest son has ended. Click. End of story.

The future of the Sinaloa Cartel empire is fought over within the state, but decided outside. Everyone, founders and heirs, is willing to provide information to the US justice system about what was once the largest organized crime group in Mexico in exchange for improving their legal status. The criminal family doesn’t matter as much as one’s own skin. What Vicentillo and Rey Zambada (son and brother of El Mayo) already did against El Chapo, Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán can now do against El Mayo. The former has just confirmed it: he will plead guilty on July 9th. History is doomed to repeat itself.