At least 29 killed in Mexico capture of Chapo's son; U.S. extradition not guaranteed - Reuters Canada

MEXICO CITY, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Nineteen suspected pack members and 10 subject unit were killed successful a question of unit surrounding the apprehension of Mexican cause cartel brag Ovidio Guzman successful the bluish authorities of Sinaloa, Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said connected Friday.

Mexican information forces captured Guzman, the 32-year-old lad of jailed kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, successful the aboriginal hours of Thursday morning, prompting hours of unrest and shootouts with pack members, the curate said.

Guzman was extracted by chopper from the location wherever helium was caught and flown to Mexico City, earlier being taken to a maximum information national prison, Sandoval added.

The apprehension spurred the almighty Sinaloa Cartel - erstwhile headed by El Chapo himself - to spell on a rampage, mounting vehicles connected fire, blocking roads, and warring information forces successful and astir Culiacan, the superior of Sinaloa.

Twenty-one different radical were arrested during Thursday's operations, Sandoval told a quality conference, adding determination were nary reports of immoderate civilian deaths.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said determination were nary contiguous plans to extradite Ovidio to the United States, wherever his begetter is successful a maximum information situation aft being extradited successful 2017 and recovered blameworthy successful a New York court.

"The elements (of the case) person to beryllium presented and the judges successful Mexico decide," the president said. "It is simply a process...It is not conscionable the request." No U.S forces had assisted successful Ovidio's capture, Lopez Obrador said.

An enhanced information beingness volition present stay successful spot successful Sinaloa, connected Mexico's Pacific coast, to support the public, with an further 1,000 subject unit traveling to the portion today, Sandoval said.

Passengers connected an Aeromexico rider formation astatine Culiacan airdrome crouched debased beneath their seats arsenic shots rung retired astir the runway connected Thursday.

"As we were accelerating for take-off, we heard gunshots precise adjacent to the plane, and that's erstwhile we each threw ourselves to the floor," rider David Tellez said. Aeromexico said 1 of its level was deed by gunfire astatine Culiacan but that no-one was hurt.

The airdrome was owed to reopen aboriginal connected Friday aft being closed owed to the violence.

In 2019, a failed cognition to apprehension Ovidio ended successful humiliation for Lopez Obrador's government. At the time, information forces concisely detained Ovidio, triggering a convulsive backlash from cartel loyalists and starring authorities to rapidly merchandise him to stave disconnected the menace of further retribution from his henchmen.

His latest seizure comes earlier a North American leaders' acme successful Mexico City adjacent week, which U.S. President Joe Biden volition attend. Cooperation implicit information is owed to beryllium connected the agenda.

THE EXTRADITION QUESTION

The United States has sought Guzman's extradition for years.

In 2021, the State Department announced a $5 cardinal reward for accusation starring to his apprehension and conviction.

Guzman, known by the nickname "The Mouse," has been charged successful the United States with conspiracy to postulation cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States. The State Department said helium oversaw methamphetamine labs successful Sinaloa liable for producing "3,000 to 5,000 pounds" of the cause per month.

The State Department besides said accusation indicated helium had ordered aggregate murders, including that of a fashionable Mexican vocalist who had refused to execute astatine his wedding.

Surging flows of the synthetic opioid fentanyl into the United States, wherever it has fueled grounds overdose deaths, person heightened unit to seizure Guzman.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers the Sinaloa Cartel, on with 1 different gang, to beryllium liable for astir of the fentanyl wrong the United Sates.

Additional reporting by Dave Graham Editing by Alistair Bell

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