Mexican security forces captured Ovidio Guzman, a son of jailed drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, on Thursday in the northwestern city of Culiacan. Guzman, nicknamed “El Raton” (The Mouse), is a senior member of the Sinaloa Cartel and was flown to Mexico City on a military plane.
The arrest sparked violence in Culiacan, including gunfire and arson, and led to the closure of the city’s airport and airports in Mazatlan and Los Mochis.
Multiple countries have advised their citizens in Mexico to limit their movements and shelter in place due to the violence in the western part of the country.
This is not the first time Guzman has been arrested; in 2019, he was briefly detained but was quickly released to end violent retribution in Culiacan from his gang. The incident was an embarrassing setback for the government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
The United States had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Guzman, and it is not yet clear whether he will be extradited to the US like his father, who is serving a life sentence in Colorado’s ADX Florence prison.
The capture of Guzman comes days before United States President Joe Biden is set to visit Mexico for a North America leaders’ summit in Mexico City, where security is expected to be a major topic of discussion. The incident is likely to be seen as a win in the fight against powerful cartels and a boost to US-Mexico cooperation on security.
At the summit on Monday and Tuesday, drug trafficking and immigration are anticipated to be key topics of discussion between United States President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.