Two days after the United States announced US $5 million rewards for information leading to their arrest, the sons of jailed drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera allegedly threw an ostentatious Christmas party in Culiacán, Sinaloa.
The posada started last Friday night on a property on the outskirts of the municipality of Culiacán and continued until Saturday afternoon, according to the news magazine Proceso.
Videos of the event posted to social media showed bands playing on a stage. Among their repertoire were ballads that mentioned El Chapo, the newspaper El Universal reported.
Videos and photographs also show hundreds of children’s gifts, all adorned with stickers featuring the letters JGL — Joaquín Guzmán Loera’s initials.
Raffle prizes — including several cars, widescreen televisions and refrigerators — were also embellished with the stickers.
None of the guests appear in the videos and photographs shared on social media, presumably to protect their identity.
Sinaloa government sources cited by Proceso said the posada organized by Los Chapitos was intended to maintain the social base built by their father, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. The newspaper Milenio in early December cited federal sources as saying Los Chapitos have started to lose the sympathy of Sinaloa residents due to acts of violence they have committed against cartel members and ordinary people.
The Guzmán brothers allegedly organized a large Christmas party in 2020 as well. That event, which also took place in Culiacán, was shut down by state and federal security forces.
This year’s event came after the U.S. Department of State announced rewards of up to US $5 million each for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, Joaquín Guzmán López and Ovidio Guzmán López.
“All four are high-ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel, and are each subject to a federal indictment for their involvement in the illicit drug trade,” the State Department said.
Wanted posters for the four men, all in their 30s, were published online last Thursday.
Video posted on Twitter with apparent footage from the event.REALIZAN “CHAPO POSADA”
Los Chapitos”, hijos de Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán realizan posada 2021 en #Sinaloa. Grupos norteños, rifas de autos y regalos con las iniciales de su padre GJL fueron entregados a los asistentes. pic.twitter.com/9Ghank6EvG— FANNY (@_fannymartinez) December 19, 2021
With reports from El Universal, RíoDoce and Proceso
