The four sons of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán organized a gathering ahead of Christmas where they raffled off brand new cars and gave out gifts of toys to local children from the Mexican state of Sinaloa, Daily Mail reports. Videos from the event have surfaced, showing live bands performing for attendees – eight of whom were lucky enough to bring home a new whip.
Ovidio Guzmán López, Joaquín Guzmán López, Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán, and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán, who have become known as “Los Chapitos,” hosted the event in commemoration of “posada,” which is “a religious tradition celebrated in Mexico and Latin America that recalls the journey that Mary and Joseph took on in search of a safe refuge for Mary to give birth to Jesus.”
Posadas typically take place between December 16th and 24th; it remains unclear when the footage of the celebration was taken. “We do not have information about any posada that Mr. Guzmán’s children have made,” a Culiacán police officer told Grillonautas when asked about the festival.
Los Chapitos’ party doesn’t come as a huge surprise to many, including a Jalisco state public security official who says that the brothers behaviour is “to be expected because they are well known in the northern region of the state.” They hosted a similar event in December of 2020 in San Diego with as many as 800 guests, which was ultimately shut down by the military due to the COVID-19 measures at the time.
Daily Mail notes that El Chapo’s son’s actions mimic their father’s (as well as his fellow associate Pablo Escobar), who “often gave away lavish gifts as a show of gratitude to those who displayed loyalty to him, especially during Christmas.”
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of State announced that they’re offering four $5 million rewards for any information that could lead of the arrest/convictions of the brothers.
“For years, the United States has been in the grips of the worst drug epidemic in its history, driven by overdose deaths involving heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl and an increase in methamphetamine availability. Transnational criminal organizations are largely responsible for bringing these drugs and related violence to our communities.”
Check back in with HNHH later for more updates on Los Chapitos.
[Via]