( Spanish) –– A federal judge ordered 60 days of preventive detention for Ovidio Guzmán, alias “El Ratón” and son of El Chapo, for the purpose of extradition to the United States after a hearing at the Altiplano prison justice center, in the state of Mexico, where he is being held, as reported by the Televisa network and other Mexican media.
The foreign minister of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard, confirmed earlier that a provisional detention request for the purpose of extradition to the US weighs on Guzmán, dated September 19, 2019. However, he announced that this would not be immediate due to the that mark the Mexican laws.
Ebrard explained that, when the person is arrested, a term is established for the country that requires the extradition to present the evidence of the case.
“We estimate that this will happen between four and six weeks from now by the United States,” the foreign minister explained this Friday during the presidential press conference.
The United States is asking Guzmán for drug trafficking, and offered up to US$5 million for information leading to the capture of the accused, whom it describes as “a senior member of the Sinaloa Cartel.”
Earlier, another federal judge suspended Guzmán’s extradition to the United States, and the measure that prevented him from communicating with his family and legal team. According to the legal resolution, Guzmán’s defense has 3 days to ratify or not the measures that have been filed in favor of his client.
is seeking a reaction from Guzmán’s defense, but has not received a response yet. However, in statements to Televisa, a affiliate, Alberto Díaz Mendieta, one of Guzmán’s lawyers, said that as long as there is no formal extradition request “we cannot talk about a strategy or anything.”
The arrest and capture of El Chapo’s son occurred “in flagrante” for crimes such as possession of weapons for the exclusive use of the Army and attempted murder, the Secretary of the Interior, Adán Augusto López, confirmed this Friday. He added that the Attorney General’s Office had executed “an arrest warrant in terms of extradition.”
AMLO denies US pressure
“We act with autonomy,” insisted the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, when asked at a press conference this Friday if the capture of Ovidio Guzmán López was related to the arrival of the US president, Joe Biden, to Mexico.
The Mexican president denied that the operation this Thursday in Culiacán, Sinaloa, which ended with the capture of Guzmán López, had been planned for the arrival of Biden, who will visit the country as part of the North American Leaders Summit in the that Biden, AMLO and the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, will hold meetings to discuss key issues for the region.
“About the interpretations there are many, we do not share them, we act autonomously,” said AMLO.
Mexican soldiers stand guard near burning vehicles on a street during an operation to arrest Ovidio Guzmán, in Culiacán, on January 5, 2023 (Credit: JUAN CARLOS CRUZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Regarding the situation in Culiacán, López Obrador reported that the presence of “elements of the Secretary of Defense of the National Guard” and the State Police will be maintained to prevent harm to the civilian population in Sinaloa.
The president said that there was calm at the moment and that although it has not yet been possible to remove all the vehicles that blocked the roads in the area, they are working on it.
“In Culiacán we have already opened all the blocked streets and we are in the task of removing the burned cars that we put on the sidewalks,” said the president.
This is how they managed to capture Ovidio Guzmán
The Secretary of National Defense of Mexico, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, revealed details of the operation that managed to recapture Guzmán, alias “El Ratón”. Sandoval affirmed that the operation was a “forceful blow” against the Pacific Cartel, which in the past was led by Chapo Guzmán.
The operation was the result of “six months of reconnaissance and surveillance work in the area of influence” by Los Menores, a criminal organization related to the Pacific Cartel that, according to Sandoval, was headed by the son of El Chapo.
The secretary added that elements of the National Guard and the Army, in coordination with the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic and the Secretary of Public Security of Sinaloa, participated in the joint operation in Culiacán, Sinaloa, in which “personal armed” who was traveling in several trucks.
The operation began early Thursday morning in the town of Jesús María, located in the municipality of Culiacán, Sinaloa, Sandoval said. At the head were members of the Secretary of National Defense (Sedena) and the National Guard, in coordination with the Attorney General’s Office and the State Secretary of Public Security.
According to the official version, National Guard personnel identified armed people aboard several trucks, “some with handmade armor.” He added that the agents notified the Ninth Military Zone, in order to stop the convoy and check its passengers.
A burnt-out truck is seen on the street during an operation to arrest Ovidio Guzmán. (Credit: UAN CARLOS CRUZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Sandoval pointed out that a fence was established around the vehicles and they asked those who were inside to come down to be checked. He then indicated that they refused and proceeded to attack the troops.
“When they had a real, current and imminent threat that endangered their lives, they acted in accordance with the provisions of the National Law on the use of force,” he said at a press conference from Mexico City.
After “controlling the aggression”, members of the Army and the National Guard identified Guzmán López, who was detained by the Mexican authorities. Along with it, exclusive weapons of the Army and Air Force were also seized. According to Sandoval, Ovidio Guzmán was in possession of weapons, for which they proceeded to arrest him.
Sandoval added that after this arrest there were 19 blockades and armed attacks in the city of Culiacán, including the airport and Air Base number 10 —belonging to the Armed Forces.
Sandoval said that Ovidio Guzmán was transferred from Culiacán to Mexico City, where he is in the facilities of the Specialized Prosecutor for Organized Crime. There he was made available to the Public Ministry, he explained.
Soldiers and cartel members killed in the capture operation
The Secretary of National Defense of Mexico, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, said at a press conference that there were 19 deaths and 21 detainees from criminal groups and detailed the attacks and blockades that took place in Culiacán during the operation.
After the capture, dozens of weapons from the group were seized, in addition to vehicles and armored trucks.
On the part of the government forces, there were 10 soldiers killed and 35 wounded with firearms receiving medical attention, Sandoval said.
“There is no information on a civilian who has lost their lives due to these operations,” he added.
Similarly, he reported that at a home they managed to seize drugs, including marijuana, cocaine and fentanyl.
Sandoval said Thursday that the recapture of Ovidio Guzmán, alias “El Ratón” and son of the convicted leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, was the result of “six months of reconnaissance and surveillance work in the area of influence.” of Los Menores, a criminal organization related to the Pacific Cartel that, according to Sandoval, was headed by the son of Chapo.
The secretary added that elements of the National Guard and the Army, in coordination with the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic and the Secretary of Public Security of Sinaloa, participated in the joint operation in Culiacán, Sinaloa, in which “personal armed” who was traveling in several trucks.
Ovidio Guzmán, in the same prison from which his father escaped
Guzmán López was transferred on Thursday night to the Federal Center for Social Readaptation (Cefereso) number 1, known as the Altiplano maximum security prison, located in the municipality of Almoloya de Juárez, in the state of Mexico. This was the same prison from which his father, El Chapo Guzmán, escaped in 2015, through a tunnel in a spectacular escape in which he took advantage of a blind spot in a cell.
Sandoval affirmed that the Altiplano has been reinforced with security circles and that 1,000 soldiers will join this task “to continue with operations in Sinaloa.”
