Recapture of Ovidio Guzmán precipitates wave of violence in Culiacán; Government confirms 29 deaths

Looting of businesses, vehicle fires, roadblocks and shots at an Aeroméxico passenger plane. The violence erupted in Culiacán, a stronghold of the Sinaloa Cartel in northern Mexico, after the recapture of Ovidio Guzmán, one of the leaders of the criminal group and son of drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, imprisoned in the United States.

At least 29 people have died. These are 19 members of criminal groups that generated the violent riots and 10 soldiers who responded to the chaos, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador assured this Friday, January 6, at a press conference.

Another 21 people were arrested during the operation that led to the capture of one of the most wanted men by Justice, recorded a day before and ahead of the visit to the country of US President Joe Biden, next Sunday, January 8.

“We send our solidarity, our support, especially to the people of Sinaloa, so that they can recover normalcy as soon as possible,” said President López Obrador, accompanied by Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval.

Oviedo Guzmán is in a prison in Mexico City

The arrest sparked a shootout with gang members, Sandoval said, and Guzmán was later taken by helicopter from the house where he was captured and taken to Mexico City.

The man was transported on a military flight from Culiacán to the capital of the country. There he landed alongside busy military planes and helicopters with Marines and soldiers who quickly fanned out along the perimeter of the runway.

Oviedo Guzmán is now being held in a maximum security federal prison, authorities said.

During his speech this Friday, AMLO remarked that no US force collaborated in the capture of the son of ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán.

In addition, Sandoval reported that the Government ordered the deployment of around 1,000 additional soldiers in Sinaloa to reinforce security and protect residents.

Guzmán was indicted by the United States on drug trafficking charges in 2018. According to both governments, the man had assumed an increasing role among his brothers in managing their father’s illicit businesses, along with what is considered the biggest boss of the cartel. : Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada.

Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard confirmed that Mexico received a request in 2019 from the United States for the arrest of Guzmán for extradition purposes. However, he indicated that this petition would have to be updated and processed, adding that an open case awaits him first in his country.

Terror in Culiacán: the attack on a passenger plane, among the violent acts

The Mexican president remarked that in the operation of the also known as ‘El ratón’, the authorities acted responsibly to “take care of the civilian population.”

But the arrest of the 32-year-old man sparked the fury of members of his criminal organization and their supporters.

The Mexican press reported that Aeroméxico flight 165 was fired upon as it was preparing to take off from the runway on Thursday, January 5, for which reason it had to stop its operation.

Videos recorded by the passengers and posted on social networks showed the impact of a bullet in the rear of the fuselage, while the occupants of the aircraft, including children, threw themselves to the ground in an attempt to protect themselves.

The Mexican airline confirmed the facts through a statement and confirmed that the attack also caused damage to the aircraft’s hydraulic system.

Subsequently, the passengers and crew were removed from the plane, the security protocols were activated, and the authorities began the corresponding investigations.

Aeroméxico also confirmed that it suspended all its flights to and from Culiacán, Los Mochis and Mazatlán, cities belonging to the state of Sinaloa.

Amid this and other violent events, Culiacán was plunged into a day of terror like no other its residents have experienced since October 2019, the last time authorities tried to capture Oviedo Guzmán.

“Many of the streets are still blocked by the cars that were burned,” said the Rev. Esteban Robles, spokesman for the Roman Catholic diocese in Culiacán, after all entrances to the city were blocked.

The residents of the capital and most populous city of the aforementioned state published a video on social networks that shows caravans of armed men in trucks circulating through the avenues of the city.

At least one convoy included a flatbed truck with a rear-mounted gun, the same type of vehicle that caused chaos in the riots of 2019, the previous time authorities detained alias ‘The Mouse’, but were seen forced to release him in the face of the wave of violence that spread before the detainee was taken out of the city.

Human rights activists in the city describe the situation as tense, while local authorities urge the population to implement precautionary measures and avoid leaving their homes.

With Reuters, AP and local media