Violence after El Chapo’s son arrested in Mexico
The son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo” has been arrested, leading to an eruption of violence.
Ovidio Guzmán-López was captured in Sinaloa after a six month surveillance operation.
Gunfire and car-jackings have been reported in the city of Culiacán, in an apparent backlash after armed forces carried out a raid early on Thursday.
A Mexican airline said a plane scheduled to fly from the city was hit by bullets before taking off.
Guzmán-López is accused of leading a faction of his father’s notorious Sinaloa cartel, Defence Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said. It is one of the largest drug-trafficking organisations in the world.
Hi father, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, is serving a life sentence in the US after being found guilty in 2019 of drug trafficking and money laundering. His trial revealed some of the brutal details of how Mexico’s drug cartels operate.
The surveillance operation to capture Guzmán-López had the support of US officials, and he has now been transferred to a safe location in Mexico City, Mr Sandoval added.
Videos on social media showed burning buses blocking roads in Culiacán, in north-western Mexico, as violence spread after reports of the arrest.
Mexican airline Aeromexico said the fuselage of a plane scheduled to fly from Culiacán to Mexico City was hit by gunfire on Thursday morning as it was preparing for take-off.
It said no customers or employees were harmed. A video posted on social media appears to show passengers crouching and cowering in their seats.
The arrest comes just days before US President Joe Biden is due to visit Mexico for a North American leaders’ summit next week.
Earlier, Mayor Juan de Dios Gamez confirmed on Twitter that federal armed forces had been carrying out an operation in Culiacán since dawn on Thursday.
He said there were blockades in different parts of the city and urged residents to stay at home.
The airport has been closed and the local government body overseeing education announced on social media that “teaching and other administrative activities” had been suspended in Culiacán.
Mexican security forces had previously arrested Guzmán-López in 2019 but released him to avoid the threat of violence from his supporters.
The US State Department claims that he and his brother, Joaquín, are currently overseeing approximately eleven methamphetamine labs in the state of Sinaloa, producing an estimated 1,300- 2,200kg (3000-5000lb) of the drug per month.
They have also said that information indicates Guzmán-López ordered the murders of informants, a drug trafficker and a popular Mexican singer who had refused to sing at his wedding.
In December, the US announced a reward of up to $5m (£4.2m) for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ovidio and three of his brothers, who are thought to have kept their positions of command in the group.