Shivangi Sinha
Netflix’s ‘The Fall of El Mayo’ traces Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada’s rise alongside his former partner, Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, and examines how their sons inherited and expanded their criminal empires. El Chapo’s four sons, collectively known as Los Chapitos, are Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, Ovidio Guzmán López and Joaquín Guzmán López. According to U.S. and Mexican intelligence agencies, they emerged as powerful factional figures within the Sinaloa Cartel, operating primarily from Sinaloa. An escalating rivalry between their faction and followers of El Mayo Zambada has driven intense regional conflict since 2024.
Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar is Wanted by the US Authorities Today
Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, widely known as ‘El Chapito’, is the eldest son of El Chapo. He has become one of the most influential figures in the Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Chapitos faction. His early encounters with law enforcement date back to February 2005, when he was arrested by municipal police in Zapopan. In 2008, he was convicted of money laundering and sentenced to five years in prison. However, he was released later that year, when a Mexican federal judge overturned the verdict on appeal for lack of evidence. Over the years, Iván has faced several major charges in the US.
An indictment and an arrest warrant were issued against him in July 2014, followed by further federal charges in April 2023, along with his brothers. Prosecutors accused him of overseeing the trafficking of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as coordinating shipments of precursor chemicals from China to Mexico. Iván was also reportedly among the men abducted by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in Puerto Vallarta in 2016, before being released. In October 2019, he was identified as a key figure in the Culiacanazo, after which cartel members forced Mexican security forces to release his brother Ovidio after his brief arrest.
Since El Mayo’s arrest in July 2024, Iván has been at the center of the violent conflict between Los Chapitos and Los Mayos. In an April 2026 federal indictment unsealed in the Southern District of New York, US prosecutors also reportedly alleged that he and his brother, Jesús Alfredo, funneled funds to Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya’s 2021 election campaign in exchange for protection. Rocha Moya has vehemently denied the allegations in public. The US State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his capture. Despite reports of possible surrender negotiations and an attempted capture operation in 2026, his whereabouts remain unknown.
Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar is Facing Charges in the US
Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, also known as Alfredillo, was born to El Chapo and María Alejandrina Salazar Hernández. US prosecutors indicted him in 2015 alongside his father and other cartel figures. He has been on the DEA’s Most Wanted list since 2018 and was identified in court documents as an important logistics figure in drug trafficking between Mexico and the US. The US Treasury sanctions records have described him as a key cartel lieutenant, alleging that he tortured rivals to obtain information about potential infiltration of their territory. In 2025, he was sanctioned alongside Iván, with US authorities offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the capture of each brother. In July 2026, ICE reiterated the reward and warned the public against attempting to apprehend them.
Ovidio Guzmán López is Awaiting Sentencing in the US
Ovidio Guzmán López, better known as ‘El Ratón’, was born on March 29, 1990, in Culiacán, Sinaloa. Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán and his second wife, Griselda López Pérez, are known as his parents. He is associated with the Los Menores subgroup within Los Chapitos and became involved in the family’s criminal operations as a young adult. His name first drew widespread attention in October 2019, when Mexican security forces briefly arrested him in Culiacán but were forced to release him after cartel members overwhelmed them. The operation was eventually called off on the orders of then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
On January 5, 2023, Ovidio was arrested again in the Jesús María district near Culiacán, following a major security operation. He was extradited to the US in September that year to face federal drug trafficking charges. A significant development came on July 11, 2025, when he pleaded guilty in a Chicago federal court under an agreement covering cases in Illinois and New York. He admitted overseeing the production and trafficking of drugs, as well as involvement in murders and kidnappings. He also agreed to an $80 million forfeiture judgment and to cooperate with US prosecutors. His sentencing has been repeatedly postponed, with the latest reported date set for April 14, 2027.
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Joaquín Guzmán López Has Been Convicted in the US Federal Court
Joaquín Guzmán López is believed to have been born around 1986 in Sinaloa and to have become involved in the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations alongside his brothers. However, his name came into focus in July 2024, when he was involved in the dramatic “abduction” of Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada García. According to accounts from US law enforcement and an open letter released by Zambada’s attorney, Joaquín allegedly lured Zambada to a meeting at a ranch on the outskirts of Culiacán. The aircraft, carrying only the pilot, Zambada and Joaquín, landed in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, where US authorities arrested both men.
Prosecutors described the “abduction” as an attempt by Joaquín to demonstrate his willingness to cooperate with the American government, although officials made clear that the operation had not been authorized and would not earn him cooperation credit. On December 1, 2025, Joaquín pleaded guilty to one drug-conspiracy count and one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. He admitted to coordinating the transportation of drugs using vehicles, railways, tunnels, aircraft and submarines, and agreed to an $80 million financial judgment. He faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, although the sentencing guidelines reportedly recommend life imprisonment. His status hearing has been rescheduled for March 2027, while a sentencing date has yet to be announced.
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