Following the arrest of a son of imprisoned drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, suspected gang members and security forces battled for hours in northwestern Mexico. Criminals blocked buses and trucks in the streets of the town of Culiacan and set fire to the vehicles, television broadcasts showed on Thursday. Numerous shots were heard.
Armed troops attacked the airport and a barracks, among other things, said Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval. According to local authorities, a police officer was killed and 18 people were injured.
In light of the clashes, Governor Rubén Rocha Moya called on people in Sinaloa to stay in their homes. Schools, public buildings and Culiacan Airport are closed. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico advised against travel to Sinaloa.
Soldiers had previously arrested Ovidio Guzmán, the Mexican government said. “This is a serious blow to the leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel,” Sandoval said. After his father’s arrest, Guzmán took over part of the Sinaloa cartel and was considered one of the main dealers of the drug fentanyl in the Latin American country. Together with his brothers, he repeatedly confronted other factions within the Sinaloa Cartel.
Not the first arrest
He was arrested once before in 2019, but was later released on orders from President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to stop fierce fighting between criminals and security forces. According to US officials, he runs a number of methamphetamine production laboratories, producing between 1.5 and 2.5 tons of the drug per month. He also allegedly ordered the murder of informants, rivals and a singer who refused to sing at his wedding.
His father “El Chapo” was one of the most powerful drug dealers in the world. The former head of the Sinaloa cartel smuggled tons of cocaine and heroin into the US and made billions from it. He is also believed to have been responsible for up to 3,000 murders. He escaped from maximum security prisons in Mexico twice. After his final arrest, he was extradited to the United States and sentenced to life imprisonment.
A bounty of five million dollars
Ovidio Guzmán was taken to Mexico City and handed over to the Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office. The US State Department had placed a $5 million bounty on his head. A Washington court charged him with drug smuggling in 2018. However, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard has now said that Guzmán will not be extradited to the United States immediately.
Next week, Mexican President López Obrador, US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet in Mexico City for the North American Summit. One of the topics at the meeting in the Mexican capital will also be the common security policy. (sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
