Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar is a Mexican organized-crime figure and the son of former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera. U.S. authorities identify him as one of the principal leaders of Los Chapitos, the faction formed by four of El Chapo’s sons.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Iván Archivaldo and his brothers assumed leadership roles within the Sinaloa Cartel following their father's arrest and extradition to the United States. Federal prosecutors have alleged that the faction developed a major international trafficking network, particularly involving fentanyl and other controlled substances.
The U.S. Department of State describes Iván Archivaldo and his brother Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar as sharing leadership responsibilities within the Sinaloa Cartel and its alleged fentanyl-trafficking operations. Authorities have also accused the brothers of involvement in trafficking cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana.
In April 2023, a federal grand jury in New York indicted Iván Archivaldo on multiple charges, including continuing criminal enterprise, fentanyl-importation conspiracy, fentanyl-trafficking conspiracy, money-laundering conspiracy and firearms-related offenses. A separate superseding indictment in Illinois also charged him with conspiracies involving several controlled substances and money laundering. These charges remain allegations, and an indictment is not itself a conviction.
The U.S. government has placed a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction. The Department of State continues to list him as wanted, while the DEA identifies Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo as the two brothers who remain fugitives outside U.S. custody.
The Los Chapitos faction has become one of the principal targets of U.S. authorities because of its alleged role in the international fentanyl trade. The U.S. Treasury Department has described the four sons of El Chapo as having consolidated control and assumed leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel through their faction. Treasury has also reported that Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo remained fugitives in Mexico.
The faction's leadership has also been associated with serious violence. U.S. authorities have alleged that Iván Archivaldo shares responsibility for the security of the organization's operations. Such allegations should be distinguished from criminal convictions and are subject to the judicial process.
Iván Archivaldo's status is particularly significant because, unlike his brothers Ovidio Guzmán López and Joaquín Guzmán López, who entered U.S. custody, he remains outside American custody according to current U.S. government information. The DEA continues to identify Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo as senior figures in the Sinaloa Cartel's alleged fentanyl operations.
Despite his description by U.S. authorities as a senior leader of Los Chapitos, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar should legally be described as an indicted and wanted defendant, not as a convicted person, in relation to the federal charges discussed above. The U.S. Department of Justice expressly states that the charges are accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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