The arrest of Ovidio Guzman, a figure in drug trafficking, triggered multiple shootings, leading to the closure of schools and administrations.
One of the sons of the drug trafficker Chapo, Ovidio Guzman, was arrested this Thursday, January 5, announced the Mexican authorities. The arrest took place after a night of violence that hit the town of Culiacán, in the state of Sinaloa.
His arrest sparked several shootings in the towns of Los Mochis and Guasave on Thursday, according to the US Embassy in Mexico on Twitter. “Gunshots were reported in several locations, including Culiacan, Los Mochis and Guasave. (…) The Governor of Sinaloa advises the public to shelter in place. We remind US citizens that (US authorities) advise against traveling to the province of Sinaloa», is it written.
Read alsoThe conviction of drug trafficker “El Chapo” upheld on appeal in the United States
Ovidio Guzman, one of the sons of the drug trafficker currently imprisoned El Chapo, is one of the figures of the local drug trade. Briefly detained in 2019 by the Mexican authorities, he was released to avoid violent reprisals from his gangthe Sinaloa Cartel.
Scenes of chaos in Culiacan
His arrest comes a few days before a summit bringing together American heads of state Joe Biden, Canadian Justin Trudeau and Mexican Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador, in Mexico City on Monday and Tuesday. Previously, the United States had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Ovidio Guzman’s arrest. A rise in overdose deaths from synthetic opioids, such as Fentanyl, in the United States had forced Mexico to increase pressure on the cartels responsible for producing and shipping the drug.
Read alsoFaced with drug trafficking, the UN’s acknowledgment of failure
In Culiacán, where shootings broke out on Thursday, the airport was closed. A plane on the tarmac was reportedly fired upon, footage on social media shows. The local government is calling on residents not to leave their homes. Schools and administrations have been closed. Roadblocks were reportedly erected in the streets.
SEE ALSO – In Mexico, the house from which El Chapo fled is up for grabs in the lottery