Mexican authorities arrest son of Chapo Guzman
Mexico City, Jan 5 (EFE).- Ovidio Guzman, son of jailed drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, was arrested Thursday in the western city of Culiacan, Mexican officials said.
Thought to have succeeded their father at the head of the Sinaloa cartel, Ovidio and brother Joaquin Guzman Lopez both face drug trafficking charges in the United States, where El Chapo is serving a life sentence.
Ovidio’s arrest comes on the eve of a visit to Mexico by US President Joe Biden for the North American Leaders Summit.
The operation to apprehend Ovidio drew a violent response from the cartel, whose operatives blocked roads, hijacked and burned vehicles and clashed with security forces in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state.
The disturbances, which broke out around 4:30 am, brought back memories of the events of Oct. 27, 2019, when some 300 cartel gunmen battled police and troops on the streets of the city after Ovidio Guzman was detained.
Eight people died on that occasion and President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ordered Ovidio released to avert further bloodshed.
On Thursday, officials did not initially disclose the nature of the law enforcement operation that spurred the violence in Culiacan, limiting their comments to recommending that residents remain indoors.
“There are various blockades in the city. At this moment, the invitation to the citizens is that if you don’t have to go out, don’t go out,” Sinaloa Public Safety Secretary Cristobal Castañeda Camarillo said in comments to the media.
Classes were suspended at public schools and state employees were told to stay home.
Asked about the situation in Culiacan during his daily morning news conference, Lopez Obrador urged reporters to be patient.
“Wait. We still don’t know how things are in Sinaloa, there is an operation that began overnight and we will inform you about that later, later so we have the precise information. We will not get ahead of ourselves” the president said.
He said that the federal security secretary, Rosa Icela Rodriguez, will provide a detailed briefing later Thursday. EFE
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