The Violent And Flamboyant Lives Of ‘El Chapo Guzman’s Sons And Associates’

“El Chapo” Guzman has for a long time headed the Sinaloa cartel alongside powerful partners such as Ismael Zambada García, also known as El Mayo and Damaso Lopez Nunez aka El Licenciado. While El Chapo might be the most popular among them as a result of run-ins with the police and escaping from prison, his partners are equally influential within the Sinaloa cartel and continue to run it in his absence.

Going a bit into the background of the aforementioned associates, Damaso Lopez Nunez is said to be in the top brass of the Sinaloa cartel leadership. Also referred to as “El Lic” a short for “El Licenciado,” he heads one of the criminal organizations that constitute the Sinaloa federation, which is chaired by ‘El Chapo’ Guzman. Following ‘El Chapo’s capture earlier this year, focus has been shifted to the 48-year-old. The following is a report on this by Jammed Up.

“Internal DEA documents obtained by The Associated Press after Guzman’s Feb 2014 arrest, shows that over the course of ‘El Chapo’s recent imprisonment, the Sinaloa Cartel was controlled by Zambada, and another old school drug trafficker, Rafael Caro Quintero, along with relative newcomers Damaso López Núñez, “El Lic,” and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman.

Lopez leads a faction of the Sinaloa organization called Los Damaso. The name ‘El Licenciado’ or the ‘The Bachelor’, is derived from his background as a lawyer… He studied law at the University of Sinaloa. ‘El Lic’ briefly practiced law before going to work for the investigative agency at the Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office in 1991, where he earned a pay of $600 per month.”

He is said to have thereafter been appointed head of security at Puente Grande Prison in Jalisco. It was while there when he became friends with El Chapo Guzman, who was at the time serving time at the prison. El Lic is said to have been instrumental in aiding the drug lord to escape and resigned soon after.

He went on to become a close associate of El Chapo in the Sinaloa cartel and prefers to keep a low profile. His son Damaso Lopez Serano, also known as El Mini Lic is said to be El Chapo’s godson and is one of the narco celebrities on social media.

Ismael Él Mayo Zambada García is said to be responsible for the cartel’s heroine and marijuana production, and is believed to be El Chapo’s equal in the Sinaloa Cartel. Recent reports indicate that he has had plastic surgery to alter his facial appearance, making it easy for him to travel throughout Mexico without being arrested.

On to their kids, El Mini Lic, Damaso’s son has a presence in the Eldorado region. His men are said to dress flamboyantly, mostly donning Hermés vests and Armani caps and like to keep a close eye on suspicious individuals in the area, noting down number plates and sharing intelligence if anything is out if the ordinary.

Although they used to get trigger happy on designated days, this is no longer the norm. They are also said to banish criminals in the community.

El Chapo’s sons are also said to control certain regions vital to the trade and are in the Sinaloa cartel leadership. Currently, Ivan Guzman is said to be the likely heir to ‘El Chapo’s cartel operations. He has a violent history. Known as “Chapito,” he was a suspect in the killing of a Canadian student outside a nightclub in Guadalajara in 2004.

The following year, guns and a package containing cocaine were found in his car after it overturned in the area close to the club, and he was arrested. However, charges against him didn’t stick. He was soon after indicted for using proceeds from the drugs trade to buy cars, but again a judge overturned the conviction.

This is as reported by The Guardian.

[AP Photo/Marco Ugarte]