South of our border, a curious dance of diplomacy and justice unfolds. Mexico’s security secretary, Omar García Harfuch, has revealed that over a dozen kin to Ovidio Guzmán Lopez, former leader of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, have been granted entry into the United States. And according to Harfuch, it’s as part of a ‘negotiation’ with our Justice Department.
This negotiation has a catch. Guzmán Lopez, now answering to American justice for drug trafficking charges, has allegedly been offered a bargain for his cooperation. A son of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, he once led a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, branded a terrorist organization by the Trump administration. Now, his relatives are in this country, not sought by Mexican authorities, and seemingly part of a deal struck in the shadows.
On the day these revelations came to light, charges were declared against numerous cartel leaders by the U.S. Attorney General’s Office. The Southern District of California’s U.S. Attorney, Adam Gordon, minced no words. ‘To the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel,’ he declared, ‘you are no longer the hunters, you are the hunted.’ Yet, a silence from the White House remains; no comment was shared at the time of publishing.
The U.S. government’s clandestine dealings with these relatives of Guzmán Lopez raise more questions than they answer. The question that keeps bouncing around my mind is: Can justice be served if we’re dealing with those tied to its offenders? And what does it mean for ordinary Americans?
The pursuit of justice must be steady. If it wavers, if it bends to the winds of negotiation and compromise, the integrity of our justice system is at risk. We must be vigilant to ensure justice is not compromised.
