Son of notorious drug lord ‘El Chapo’ Guzman arrested in Mexico
Authorities in Mexico have captured one of the sons of notorious drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez, El Chapo’s 32-year-old son, was detained by Mexican military and National Guard forces in the northwestern city of Culiacan, Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval announced on Thursday.
Ovidio is currently being held in Mexico City, where he awaits extradition to the United States for drug trafficking charges.
After El Chapo’s arrest in 2016, several of his sons took power in the Sinaloa Cartel, including Ivan Archivaldo Guzman and Jesus Alfredo Guzman. Together with Ovidio these sons became known as ‘los chapitos,’ or the ‘little Chapos.’
Los Chapitos began consolidating power with current Sinaloa leader Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, who is currently rumored to be in poor health.
Ovidio was captured by the Mexican government once before in 2019, but he was released after mass violence erupted in Culiacan. About 700 cartel gunmen took hostages – including 8 Mexican soldiers – in an apartment complex housing the families of government employees.
Eventually, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ordered Ovidio’s release to prevent further loss of life.
Violence has already begun to break out after Ovidio’s most recent arrest.
‘We ask the citizens of Culiacan not to leave home due to the blockades that have occurred in different parts of the city,’ Culiacan Mayor Juan de Dios Gamez announced. Local schools and government offices were closed for the day.
Videos posted on social media show cartel members lighting cars on fire, blocking roads, and shooting at military aircraft.
At least one passenger aircraft was hit by bullets as well. Passengers and crewmembers on board an Aeromexico flight to Mexico City took cover after gunmen shot at a plane waiting to take off on the runway.
The plane was never able to take off, Aeromexico stated, and the airline cancelled all flights out of Culiacan on Thursday.
Culiacan International Airport later shut down for the remainder of the day.
Sinaloa Public Safety Chief Cristobal Castaneda said police were working on ‘controlling the situation.’
The US Department of Homeland Security has offered a $5million bounty for Ovidio’s capture, and officials are hoping the Mexican government is able to extradite him quickly before more violence erupts again in Sinaloa.
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