Trump Makes a ‘Secret Deal’ with El Chapo?

Trump-era backroom deal with a “narco-terrorist” family stuns Mexican officials as Biden’s DOJ scrambles to explain legacy policy still in play.

In a revelation that has stunned both sides of the border, nearly 20 family members of convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán quietly entered the United States with full knowledge—and apparent consent—of Trump administration officials.

The controversial deal, negotiated behind closed doors with El Chapo’s son, Ovidio Guzmán Lopez, is now under renewed scrutiny after the cartel family walked across the U.S. border from Tijuana last week, greeted by waiting American agents. No public announcement. No coordination with Mexico’s current government. No explanation from Trump or his allies.

“This was a complete shock,” said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo during a press conference Tuesday. “We were not informed. We were not consulted. And we are demanding full transparency.”

Ovidio Guzmán, currently awaiting trial in U.S. federal court for trafficking fentanyl and operating what prosecutors describe as a “narcoterrorist empire,” appears to have secured special terms with U.S. authorities—terms that now include the safe entry of his family into American soil.

A Deal with the Devil?

The Sinaloa Cartel, which the Trump administration itself once labeled a Foreign Terrorist Organization, has long been blamed for flooding the U.S. with deadly synthetic opioids. According to the DEA, the cartel is responsible for the majority of fentanyl that kills over 70,000 Americans each year.

And yet, according to a source inside Mexico’s security services, Ovidio Guzmán “received clear assurances that his family would be protected if he cooperated with U.S. prosecutors.”

Mexico’s Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch, confirmed that 17 family members tied to both El Chapo and Ovidio entered the U.S. in recent days. “It is evident that this is part of a DOJ deal,” he said. “This did not come from us.”

The Mexican government has sent a formal diplomatic request to President Trump’s legal team and the U.S. Department of Justice, asking for the details of any agreement made before Ovidio Guzmán’s 2023 extradition. So far, they’ve received silence.

Trump’s Shadow Foreign Policy

The optics are difficult to ignore: a former president who promised “law and order” and demonized migrants now stands accused of quietly cutting deals with one of the most violent drug empires in modern history.

“This reeks of hypocrisy and corruption,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX). “While Trump vilified refugees fleeing violence, his administration appears to have rolled out the red carpet for the family of the very people fueling that violence.”

Former intelligence officers have also sounded the alarm. “There’s no such thing as a clean deal with the Sinaloa Cartel,” said former DEA official Mike Vigil. “This family doesn’t come here without a reason. It’s leverage, it’s protection—or it’s part of a much larger quid pro quo.”

Justice, or Just Another Transaction?

Ovidio Guzmán, 35, was originally captured in 2019 but released by Mexican authorities after cartel gunmen turned the streets of Culiacán into a war zone. Dozens died. He was recaptured in 2023 in another deadly operation before being extradited to the U.S.

He has pleaded not guilty to trafficking charges but is scheduled to appear in court this July—where legal experts now believe a plea deal may be unveiled.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Merrick Garland’s office confirmed last month that for the first time, U.S. prosecutors are officially charging cartel leaders with “narcoterrorism.” But critics argue that momentum is undercut by the Trump-era deal now coming to light.

Biden White House Caught in the Fallout

While the Trump administration orchestrated the backdoor deal, the Biden administration is now left holding the diplomatic fallout. Critics on both sides of the aisle are demanding answers.

“If there was coordination with an international criminal organization, the American public deserves to know,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT). “And if the Biden DOJ is still honoring that deal, we need to talk about accountability.”

U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, speaking from San Diego, made no mention of the secret arrangement but sent a blunt warning to the Sinaloa cartel: “You are no longer the hunters. You are the hunted.”

But as cartel foot soldiers continue operating just miles from the U.S. border—and their families now allegedly live inside it—many are asking: Who made this possible? And why hasn’t anyone stopped it?