El Chapo family members enter US, Mexican officials say
"It's evident that his family is going to the United States because of the negotiation or opportunity the Justice Department has given him," Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico's secretary of security and civilian safety, told Mexican radio network Radio Formula, when asked about reports that 17 family members had left Mexico.
He said the family members who entered the United States were not wanted by Mexican authorities.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo told reporters she was caught off guard by the news, and has asked the prosecutor's office to ask the U.S. Department of Justice for more information.
Court records show Guzman Lopez, also known as "El Raton," is set to appear in federal court in July to enter a change of plea. He previously pleaded not guilty. The records do not include details about a possible plea agreement.
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to May 14 request for comment from USA TODAY on the entry of his relatives to the country or the terms of his plea.
Jeffrey Lichtman, an attorney representing Guzman Lopez, told Reuters earlier in May "we have no completed agreement yet but hope to in the future."Lichtman and another attorney listed for Guzman Lopez did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on May 14.
The sons of Joaquin"El Chapo" Guzman are credited by U.S. authorities with rebuilding their father's international drug empire since his 2017 extradition and 2019 incarceration.
Guzman Lopez was first arrested in Mexico in 2019 but released after cartel members attacked civilians in Culiacan. He was arrested again in 2023 in an operation that led to 30 more deaths.
Contributing: Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY; Karol Suarez and Beth Warren, Louisville Courier Journal; Reuters
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