Mexico captures Guzmán, the son of jailed kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán. (agent)
Mexico City:
Nineteen suspected gang members and 10 military personnel were killed in a wave of violence surrounding the arrest of Mexican drug cartel boss Ovidio Guzman in the northern state of Sinaloa, Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said on Friday.
The minister said Mexican security forces captured Guzmán, the 32-year-old son of jailed kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, early Thursday morning, leading to hours of unrest and gunfights with gang members.
Mr Sandoval said Guzmán was airlifted by helicopter from the house where he was held and taken to Mexico City before being taken to a maximum security federal prison.
The arrest prompted the powerful Sinaloa cartel – once led by El Chapo himself – to go on a rampage, setting vehicles on fire, blocking roads, and fighting security forces in and around Sinaloa’s capital Culiacan. Were staying
Twenty-one other people were arrested during Thursday’s operations, Mr. Sandoval told a news conference, adding that there were no reports of any civilian deaths.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said there were no immediate plans to extradite Ovidio to the United States, where his father is in a maximum security prison after being extradited in 2017 and found guilty in a New York court.
“The elements (of the case) have to be presented and the judges in Mexico decide,” the president said. “It’s a process…it’s not just a request.” López Obrador said that no US forces had helped capture Ovidio.
Sandoval said an enhanced security presence will now remain in Sinaloa on Mexico’s Pacific coast to protect the public, with an additional 1,000 military personnel traveling to the area today.
Passengers on an Aeromexico passenger flight bent down from their seats at Culiacan airport as gunfire rang out around the runway on Thursday.
Passenger David Tellez said, “As we were accelerating for take-off, we heard gunshots very close to the plane and that’s when we all fell to the ground.” Aeromexico said one of its planes was hit by gunfire in Culiacan, but no one was hurt.
The airport was due to reopen later on Friday after being closed due to the violence.
In 2019, a failed campaign to arrest Ovidio ended in disgrace for López Obrador’s government. At that point, security forces briefly detained Ovidio, triggering a violent reaction from cartel loyalists and key officials who quickly released him to remove the threat of further retaliation from his operatives.
His latest capture comes ahead of a summit of North American leaders in Mexico City next week, which will be attended by US President Joe Biden. Cooperation on security is due to be on the agenda.
extradition question
The United States has been seeking Guzmán’s extradition for years.
In 2021, the State Department announced a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
Guzmán, known by the nickname “The Mouse”, has been charged with conspiracy to smuggle cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States. The State Department said they inspected methamphetamine laboratories in Sinaloa responsible for producing “3,000 to 5,000 pounds” of the drug per month.
The State Department also stated that information indicated that he had ordered several assassinations, including that of a popular Mexican singer who refused to perform at his wedding.
The growing influx of the synthetic opioid fentanyl into the United States, where it has fueled record overdose deaths, has increased pressure to catch Guzmán.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration considers the Sinaloa Cartel, along with another cartel, to be responsible for most of the fentanyl within the United States.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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