Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin Guzman “El Chapo” Loera may be going on trial tomorrow in Brooklyn federal court, but the billion-dollar cartel he founded is still flourishing under the direction of his two favorite sons.
“… The defendant’s sons remain in charge of his vast drug trafficking empire,” reads a recent letter from the US attorneys preparing to try Guzman’s case.
The Oct. 28 communication to federal Judge Brian Cogan goes on to deliver a dire warning regarding the safety of any witnesses who testify against the drug lord at the trial: “There is no doubt that the defendant and his cartel have the capability, the resources and the will to harm cooperating witnesses and their families, even after they have been relocated.”
Brothers Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar have been running their father’s drug empire with an iron hand while he has been in hiding and in prison in Mexico and after his extradition last year to the US.
“The brothers have engaged in significant violence,” said a former Drug Enforcement Administration source. “They have ambushed military people and they still have the resources to affect witnesses.”
Ivan and Alfredo are said to be the drug lord’s favorite sons, the ones he personally groomed to take over the family business. They were born to his first wife, María Alejandrina Salazar Hernández, whom Guzman married in 1977 in a small ceremony in a rural town in the state of Sinaloa, in northwestern Mexico. The couple had three children, but another son, Cesar, was killed six years ago.
Last month, Alfredo, 32, who is also known by his underworld monikers “Alfredillo” and “Jags,” was added to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 10 Most Wanted List. Alfredo was indicted for drug trafficking in Illinois in 2009. The reward for information leading to his capture was recently increased to $5 million.
“Why haven’t the sons been whacked yet?” said a federal law enforcement source who did not want to be identified. “It means they are very much in control. “But unlike their father, who believed in keeping a low profile, they are not in hiding and they love to show off.”
In fact, like their young stepmother and Guzman’s third wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, Alfredo and his older brother, Ivan, lead a flashy, entitled lifestyle in Mexico. Social media accounts linked to Guzman’s current wife, Coronel Aispuro, 29, recently showed her posing at a lavish Barbie-themed birthday party for her twin daughters in Sinaloa. Other photos show her toting expensive designer handbags and posing in skimpy bikinis on the beach.
“The whole family still controls a significant criminal network and has access to huge funds,” a former DEA agent told The Post.
In addition to Hernandez and Coronel Aispuro, Guzman was also married to Griselda Lopez Perez. He wed her in the 1980s and the couple had four children — Edgar, Joaquin, Ovidio and Griselda Guadalupe. In addition to his wives, Guzman has had several girlfriends, including Estela Pena, who initially rejected him. He later kidnapped her and forced her into a relationship.
Another woman, Zulema Hernandez, was his lover at the Puente Grande maximum-security prison in Guadalajara. She eventually was killed by Guzman’s rivals, Los Zetas. Her remains were found in the trunk of a car, the letter “Z” carved into her breasts and back.
Guzman, who is believed to be 61 years old, has 15 children, according to published reports.
“At least 15 kids,” said the federal source. “There may be more.”