One of the sons of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaqun “El Chapo” Guzmán, Ovidio Guzmán was apprehended by Mexican security forces on Thursday in a pre-dawn operation that sparked gunfights and roadblocks throughout the capital of the western state. Ovidio Guzmán is suspected of trafficking drugs and is wanted by the United States.
Army and National Guard forces, according to Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval, have detained a “El Chapo” son. Sandoval only referred to him as Ovidio, in line with official regulations.
Prior to an unsuccessful attempt to capture him three years ago, Ovidio Guzmán was not one of El Chapo’s more well-known kids. Similar violence followed that effort in Culiacan, which ultimately prompted President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to order the military to release the man.
This time, municipal and state authorities in Sinaloa issued warnings to residents to stay inside, halted local government operations, and shut down schools. Amid gunshots, the Mexican military shut down Culiacan’s airport.
Just a few days prior to López Obrador hosting U.S. President Joe Biden for bilateral talks and a North American Leaders’ Summit with Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the high-profile capture occurred. The leaders are anticipated to focus heavily on immigration and drug trafficking during their conversation.
The U.S. Department of State had been offering a reward of up to $5 million for information that resulted in Ovidio Guzmán-capture López’s and/or conviction.
With his security plan, López Obrador overturned years of what became known as the “kingpin policy” of eliminating cartel lords. In the end, it had resulted in the dissolution of sizable cartels and deadly power struggles. Putting all of his trust in the military, López Obrador disbanded the dishonest Federal Police and established the National Guard under military control.
“This is a tremendous win for the rule of law and a major blow to the Sinaloa cartel. However, it won’t stop the importation of pharmaceuticals into the United States. Hopefully Mexico will hand him over to American authorities “Former DEA Chief of International Operations Mike Vigil stated on Thursday.
One of the sons of the drug lord who is well known is not Ovidio. Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, and Jess Alfredo Guzmán, sometimes known as “Los Chapitos” or “the tiny Chapos,” are thought to be in charge of their father’s cartel.
Because Zambada was ill and isolated in the mountains, the Chapitos have been gaining more power within the cartel, according to Vigil. The Chapitos are aware that if they don’t maintain control after el Mayo passes away, the cartel would disintegrate.
It will be crucial that Mexico comply with the United States’ swift request for Ovidio’s extradition, according to Vigil.
Following the operation on Thursday, alleged cartel members allegedly carjacked locals in Culiacan and burned their vehicles on fire in the cartel stronghold. Authorities from the local and state levels issued a stay-in advisory.
These attempts to spread mayhem frequently follow the arrest of significant cartel officials in Mexico. One of the most infamous occurred in October 2019 when federal security agents cornered Ovidio Guzmán and then allowed him to flee after gunmen opened fire on the city with powerful weapons.
Even though the United States was requesting Ovidio Guzman’s extradition on drug trafficking charges, López Obrador claimed at the time that he had made the choice to prevent human casualties. He was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana in the US in a 2018 federal indictment in Washington, D.C.
The 2019 fiasco was embarrassing for López Obrador’s administration and further cast doubt on Mexico’s resolve to take on the country’s strong drug cartels.
López Obrador was extremely critical of the costs of his predecessors’ drug war when he first took office. He adopted the slogan “hugs, not bullets” to represent his strategy for addressing Mexico’s ongoing violence, which would center on social initiatives designed to reduce the appeal of organized crime.
But the death toll is still high four years into his six-year mandate.
The operation, which took place in a region called Jesus Maria to the north of the city, according to Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha, “triggered violent events in the capital and other parts of the state.” According to the neighborhood news source Riodoce, which reported dozens of roadblocks all around the city, relatives of Ovidio Guzmán are known to reside there.
The State Department’s spokesperson, Ned Price, stated during a press conference that the American government had been “closely following the violence” in Sinoloa. Right now, Price urged Americans against visiting Sinaloa.
“Our embassy in Mexico City issued an alert to American citizens today recommending them to hide in place, similar to the governor,” Price added.
