Ovidio Guzman Lopez Enters Witness Protection According to DEA Source

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

A source from the DEA informed 'El Universal' that Ovidio Guzmán Lopez, son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, entered the protected witness program under the custody of the US Marshals and added that he will not be presented publicly, since his case is classified.

Guzmán López, known as "El Ratón," is no longer in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). His BOP file shows him as "Released" since July 23, 2024, a date since which his whereabouts are unknown. 

A source from the Department of Justice confirmed that the former co-leader of 'Los Chapitos' remains in U.S. custody and that his next court date is scheduled for October 1 in the Northern District of Illinois court. His brother Joaquin Guzman Lopez is scheduled for the same day for his first major court appearance in Chicago as he has retained the same lawyer and will appear before the same federal judge overseeing Ovidio's case. The brothers are Co-Defendants in the large superseding indictment.

Ovidio Guzmán, was arrested in Mexico on January 5, 2023. He was held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, Illinois, and on March 18, 2024, Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman read the charges against him.

Ovidio's lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman is the same as that of his father, "El Chapo." Chapo was sentenced to life in prison, which he is serving in the maximum security prison ADX in Florence, Colorado.

This information on Ovidio's status in the US comes the day after Mexico's FGR posted a statement updating their investigation into the alleged kidnapping and flying to the US of "El Mayo," the surrender of Joaquin Guzman-Lopez and murder and coverup in the death of Hector Cuen Ojeda, former mayor of Culiacan and founder of the Sinaloa Party PAS.

"In the investigation of the case "Ismael "N" -Joaquín "N", the Attorney General's Office (FGR) has obtained evidence of a chronological sequence, which begins with the release of Ovidio "G" from a high-security prison of the US prison system, on July 23, 2024, (two days before the alleged kidnapping of Ismael "N"); the current status of said person and his location within the US territory are unknown at this time.

Subsequently, and when the alleged kidnapping of Ismael “N” by Joaquín “N” had already been committed, on August 9, 2024, the US Ambassador to Mexico publicly stated that Ismael “N” had been taken to the US against his will.

On August 10, Ismael “N”’s lawyer, Frank Pérez, published in national and international media a statement from the alleged kidnapper in which he describes, in detail, the manner in which his own kidnapping was violently carried out; which is included in the corresponding investigation file.

Following the above, the Attorney General of the United States of America, on August 16, 2024, stated to this institution that Ismael "N" arrived in that country against his will and that he had become aware of several proposals from Joaquín "N" to surrender to the US authorities.

As a result of the above, the link between the situation and location of Ovidio “G”; the participation of his brother Joaquín in the alleged kidnapping of Ismael “N”; the violence with which it was carried out; as well as the obvious irregularities of the plane and the flight of the kidnapping; are fundamental matters of the investigation of this Institution, for the crimes committed in Mexico."

Cloned Plane Updates

The Beechcraft 200 aircraft that was allegedly used to commit the aforementioned crimes, and which the US government allowed to be inspected on its territory by Mexican authorities, it was found to have the registration number N287KA and the serial number BB1137; both false and superimposed on that aircraft.

Since the investigation data indicate that the legal registration number of that aircraft was N44JN and the original legal serial number BB191.

In addition, information was obtained that the original North American registration of that aircraft, in 2019, was N200TP.

Later, said aircraft was transferred to Colombia, where it was registered with the Colombian registration HK4658G.

In 2021, a new registration was obtained in the USA, N44JN; which does not match the one currently held by said aircraft, since this one is presumably false and superimposed.

Sources FGR, El Universal, Jetphotos