Afrigather Mexican authorities have arrested Ovidio Guzmán, son of infamous drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, sparking widespread violence simply days earlier than President Joe Biden‘s scheduled go to to the embattled Central American nation.
Based on a press launch issued by the USA State Division on December 16, Ovidio is “a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel,” and was concerned in all the cartel’s actions, particularly the manufacturing of fentanyl.
Information Of “El Chapo’s” Son’s Arrest Sparks Violence, Forcing Officers To Implement Shelter At House
Information of Ovidio’s arrest sparked violence throughout town, forcing native officers to inform residents to shelter at house amid clashes with cartel members in numerous elements of Culiacán.
Based on AP News, cartel members arrange 19 roadblocks all through town, together with one at Culiacan’s airport and out of doors the native military base, in addition to in any respect factors of entry to town of Culiacan.
Nonetheless the Air Pressure was nonetheless in a position to fly Ovidio to Mexico Metropolis regardless of their efforts.
Ovidio, nicknamed “the Mouse,” had been beforehand arrested by federal authorities in October 2019, however was launched on the orders of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to keep away from additional bloodshed.
Arrest Comes Simply Days Earlier than President Biden’s Scheduled Arrival In Mexico For Bilateral Talks
In the meantime, Thursday’s high-profile seize comes simply days earlier than President López Obrador will host U.S. President Joe Biden for bilateral talks adopted by their North American Leaders’ Summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Drug trafficking, together with immigration, are anticipated to be prime speaking factors, based on the Related Press.
“It is a important blow to the Sinaloa cartel and main victory for the rule of regulation. It won’t, nevertheless, impede the circulation of medication into the U.S. Hopefully, Mexico will extradite him to the U.S.,” Mike Vigil, the DEA’s former Chief of Worldwide Operations, stated Thursday.
The 12-hour standoff between safety forces and drug cartel militants in Culiacan, Mexico, over the arrest of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of the drug lord Shorty, is coming to an finish, 27 folks (at the least 3 civilians) had been injured, a nationwide guardsman was killed. pic.twitter.com/gUXQhJlmZs
— Sophia Lambert (@DV16FDS5V) January 6, 2023
Vigil went on to say that Ovidio was concerned in all the cartel’s actions, particularly the manufacturing of fentanyl. A 2018 federal indictment filed in Washington, D.C., accused the youthful Guzmán of conspiring to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana in the USA, the Related Press reviews.
The examine by non-governmental group Causa en Comun counted 5,463 victims from 3,123 occasions in a complete of two,657 information articles by way of the primary half of 2022. That’s an 18 % improve in comparison with the identical time in 2021.
Arrest Of “El Chapo’s” Son Leads To Violent Cartel Response, Residents Urged To Stay Inside
Final July, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention stated over 107,000 Individuals died from a drug overdose throughout the 12 months ending January 2022, the vast majority of which concerned opioids together with illegally-made fentanyl.
Early final 12 months, U.S. Homeland Safety Investigations had posted a $5 million reward for info resulting in the arrest and/or conviction of Guzmán.
In the meantime, cartel members responded to Ovidio’s arrest on Thursday by carjacking automobiles of Culiacan residents and setting them ablaze within the cartel stronghold., as native and state authorities warned residents to stay inside.
Gunfire continued nicely into Thursday afternoon in Culiacan whereas Mexican authorities clashed with cartel members.
Ovidio’s father, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, is at the moment serving a life sentence within the U.S. after being discovered responsible in 2019 of drug trafficking and cash laundering.
Like his son, the elder Guzmán had escaped previous to formal sentencing in 2015 through a tunnel dug by associates into his jail cell. Mexican authorities finally recaptured him following a shoot-out in January 2016, and extradited him to the U.S. a 12 months later.
