Violence erupts after Mexico arrests son of “El Chapo” Guzman | crime news

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Cartels have sometimes unleashed violence in cities in retaliation for the arrest of high-profile cartel figures.

Mexican authorities have arrested Ovidio Guzmán, the son of imprisoned drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, several news agencies reported.

Cars were set on fire and alleged gang members kidnapped residents of the city of Culiacán, in the Sinaloa province, from Wednesday night through Thursday. The authorities did not say what triggered the violence, but such actions sometimes occur after a cartel member has been arrested.

“We ask the citizens of Culiacán not to leave their homes because of the blockade that has occurred in different parts of the city,” Culiacán Mayor Juan de Dios Gamez wrote on Twitter.

Ovidio became an important figure in the Sinaloa Cartel after his father’s arrest, and was arrested and temporarily detained by Mexican security forces in October 2019.

In response, gunmen began firing high-powered weapons across the city, and Ovidio Guzmán was released in an embarrassing setback for the administration of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

At a press conference on Thursday, López Obrador acknowledged there were operations under way in Culiacán but did not provide further details.

Unverified footage on social media allegedly showed gunfire overnight in Culiacán, including from a helicopter, and the airport announced it would suspend operations until Thursday evening. Work has also been suspended for all municipal employees.

“Don’t leave the house!” Medina posted on social media. “The safety of the citizens of Culiacán is paramount.”

Another alleged drug kingpin, Ernesto Alfredo Pinon de la Cruz aka “El Nito,” was killed by authorities in the border city of Ciudad Juarez on Thursday morning, four days after he escaped from prison during a violent mass break.

At least 19 people, including prison staff and other prisoners, were killed when armored vehicles attacked the prison where Neto was being held in the deadliest raid of its kind in recent years.

The Mexican government has struggled to deal with high levels of violence and the great power of drug cartels across the country.

While the president ran a campaign that criticized the drug war and emphasized the use of social programs to weaken the financial appeal of organized crime, López Obrador was criticized for adopting an approach that relied on the military. Rights groups are becoming more critical, and violence remains high.

In September, for example, the Mexican government moved to take the National Guard out of the hands of the civilian leadership and place it under the authority of the armed forces.

Mexico’s military has been criticized for its record of abuse, and rights groups have warned that removing civilian control of the National Guard could lead to similar abuses.

López Obrador brushed aside those concerns, saying the measure was necessary for public safety.

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