Mexican authorities have arrested Ovidio Guzman, the son of drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, CNN reported. According to the report, the federal government of Mexico arrested him in a dramatic and bloody operation that happened in the northern state of Sinaloa, during which 19 suspects and ten soldiers were killed. The arrest led to many clashes in the city of Culiacan.
Guzmán was described as a senior member of the Sinaloa cartel, and was already arrested by federal authorities in October 2019. However, he was released on the orders of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to prevent further bloodshed in the country. Following his current arrest, many clashes broke out in the city of Culiacan, and in the documents published on his social network, you can see burning trucks and intense shooting near the city’s airport, which was closed for many hours.
Clashes in Mexico after the arrest of Ovidio Guzman (Photo: Reuters)At the time of the dramatic operation by Mexican authorities, Sinaloa’s Minister of Internal Security, Cristóbal Castañeda, said that many vehicles were looted, and many blockades were put in place in different parts of the city of Culiacan. Members of the National Guard began patrolling the city and the state’s education secretariat announced the closure of schools, and those in the fire zones to find safe shelter.
The state of Sinaloa is home to the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world’s most powerful market-trafficking organizations. The former leader of the cartel – “El Chapo”, will be sentenced to life in prison in 2020. Professor Gladys McCormick, an expert on US-Mexico relations, explained that “the capture of Guzmán could be a way for the president to show the Americans that he controls the armed forces and the security situation in Mexico According to him, “It also eliminates the force behind any request by President Biden to curb the transfer of drugs across the border.” This, after the US State Department offered a reward of 5 million dollars for any information leading to Guzman’s arrest.
Watch.. the moment Ibn was arrested.#el_chapoThe leader of the most dangerous drug gangs in Mexico, and as a result, a fierce war broke out between the gang members and the army, which is still going on until now. pic.twitter.com/2UTXyC28hI
– New Gulf – Media (@NewKhalij) January 6, 2023
According to the US State Department’s statement, before Ovidio’s arrest, it was reported that he and his brother, Joaquin Guzman-Lopez, inherited a large part of the drug profits and began investing in large quantities in the purchase of marijuana in Mexico and cocaine in Colombia. The cartel also began purchasing large quantities of ephedrine from Argentina and smuggled it into Mexico.” According to the State Department, “the brothers oversaw 11 methamphetamine laboratories in the state of Sinaloa.”
As you remember, El Chapo was convicted in 2019, in the US court, on ten counts, including drug trafficking and firearms use. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and another 30 years, and was also ordered to pay 12.6 billion dollars.