Mexican safety forces captured Ovidio Guzmán, an alleged drug trafficker needed by the US and one of many sons of former Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, in a pre-dawn operation Thursday that set off gunfights and roadblocks throughout the western state’s capital.
Protection Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval mentioned Military and Nationwide Guard personnel had captured a son of “El Chapo.” Sandoval recognized him solely as Ovidio, in line with authorities coverage.
Ovidio Guzmán, nicknamed “the Mouse,” had not been one in every of El Chapo’s better-known sons till an aborted operation to seize him three years in the past. That try equally set off violence in Culiacan that finally led President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to order the navy to let him go.
Thursday’s high-profile seize comes simply days earlier than López Obrador will host US President Joe Biden for bilateral talks adopted by their North American Leaders’ Summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Drug trafficking, together with immigration, is predicted to be a prime speaking level.
“It is a vital blow to the Sinaloa cartel and main victory for the rule of legislation. It won’t, nevertheless, impede the circulation of medicine into the U.S. Hopefully, Mexico will extradite him to the U.S.,” Mike Vigil, the DEA’s former Chief of Worldwide Operations, mentioned Thursday.
Vigil mentioned that Ovidio Guzmán was concerned in all the cartel’s actions, particularly the manufacturing of fentanyl. A 2018 federal indictment in Washington, D.C., accused the youthful Guzmán of conspiring to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana in the US.
The CDC mentioned final July that greater than 107,000 Individuals had died from a drug overdose throughout the 12 months ending January 2022, most of them involving opioids together with illegally made fentanyl.
López Obrador’s safety method reversed years of what got here to be generally known as the kingpin technique of taking down cartel leaders, which led to the fragmentation of huge cartels and bloody battles for dominance. López Obrador put all his religion within the navy, disbanding the corrupt Federal Police and creating the Nationwide Guard beneath navy command.
The seize was the results of six months of reconnaissance and surveillance within the cartel’s territory, after which fast motion on Thursday, Sandoval mentioned. Nationwide Guard troops noticed SUVs, some with home made armor, and instantly coordinated with the military as they established a fringe across the suspicious automobiles and compelled the occupants out to be searched.
The safety forces then got here beneath hearth, however have been in a position to acquire management of the scenario and establish Guzmán amongst these current and in possession of firearms, Sandoval mentioned.
Cartel members arrange 19 roadblocks together with at Culiacan’s airport and outdoors the native military base, in addition to all factors of entry to the town of Culiacan, Sandoval mentioned, however the Air Pressure was in a position to fly Guzmán to Mexico Metropolis regardless of their efforts, and he was taken to workplaces of the Lawyer Common’s organized crime particular prosecutor.
Sandoval mentioned Guzmán was a pacesetter of a Sinaloa faction he known as “los menores” or “the juniors,” who’re also called “los Chapitos,” for the sons of El Chapo.
Different “little Chapos” embrace two of his brothers — Iván Archivaldo Guzmán and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán — who’re believed to have been operating cartel operations along with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
The Chapitos have been taking larger management within the cartel as a result of Zambada was ill and remoted within the mountains, Vigil mentioned. “The Chapitos know that if el Mayo dies, (the cartel) goes to interrupt aside if they do not have management.”
“It’ll be crucial that the U.S. requests Ovidio’s extradition rapidly and that Mexico does it,” Vigil mentioned.
U.S. Homeland Safety Investigations had posted a $5 million reward for info resulting in the arrest and/or conviction of Guzmán early final 12 months.
Alleged cartel members responded to Thursday’s operation by carjacking Culiacan residents and setting automobiles ablaze within the cartel stronghold. Native and state authorities warned everybody to remain inside.
Intermittent gunfire continued into the afternoon Thursday in Culiacan as Mexican safety forces continued to conflict with cartel gunmen and few individuals ventured out. Airports there and in a number of different Sinaloa cities remained closed.
Airline Aeromexico mentioned in a press release that one in every of its jets was struck by a bullet Thursday morning because it ready for takeoff. Passenger video posted on-line confirmed individuals cowering on the ground of the aircraft. The corporate mentioned passengers and crew have been secure.
Later, Mexico’s Civil Aviation Company mentioned in a press release that an air drive aircraft in Culiacan had additionally been hit with gunfire. Along with the Culiacan airport, the company mentioned airports in Los Mochis and Mazatlan have been additionally ordered closed and all flights cancelled for safety causes.
David Téllez was aboard that flight along with his spouse and kids, making ready to return to Mexico Metropolis after visiting his in-laws.
Their aircraft had been ready for its probability to take off as two massive navy planes carrying personnel landed in addition to three or 4 navy helicopters. Marines and troopers deployed alongside the perimeter of the runway.
When the business flight was lastly making ready to speed up, Téllez heard gunshots within the distance. Inside 15 seconds the sounds have been abruptly extra intense. “We heard gunshots and threw ourselves to the ground,” he mentioned.
He didn’t know the aircraft had been hit till a flight attendant advised them. The aircraft rapidly returned to the terminal they usually have been hustled right into a room. Late Thursday afternoon they have been nonetheless within the airport, not sure of after they would be capable to return to Mexico Metropolis.
Elsewhere in Culiacan, native reporter Marcos Vizcarra had sought shelter in a resort after gunmen stole his automobile.
Then he defined by way of Twitter that armed males had entered the resort the place he had sought shelter “and are threatening company to present them their automobile keys.”
Later, Vizcarra reported that that they had taken his cellphone, however he had made it house safely.
Such makes an attempt to create chaos usually are available in response to arrests of vital cartel figures in Mexico. One of the vital infamous got here when federal safety forces cornered Ovidio Guzmán in October 2019, solely to let him escape after gunmen shot up the town with high-powered weapons.
López Obrador mentioned on the time he had made the choice to keep away from the lack of life.
López Obrador entered workplace extremely crucial of the toll of his predecessors’ drug warfare. He embraced the phrase “hugs, not bullets” to explain his method to Mexico’s persistent violence, which might concentrate on social applications aimed toward weakening the draw of organized crime.
However 4 years into his six-year time period, the loss of life toll stays excessive.
In July, Mexico captured Rafael Caro Quintero, as soon as one of many godfathers of drug trafficking and the person allegedly liable for the homicide of a DEA agent greater than three a long time in the past, simply days after López Obrador met with Biden on the White Home.
On the time, the seize was seen as a sign that Mexico could possibly be keen to go after high-profile cartel bosses once more, one thing López Obrador had been detest to do.