1 year ago
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MEXICO CITY — The Mexican service Thursday captured Ovidio Guzmán, an alleged large fentanyl trafficker and lad of notorious kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, conscionable days earlier President Biden is scheduled to marque his archetypal sojourn to Mexico.
Ovidio Guzmán’s detention, agelong sought by Washington, was hailed by Mexican Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval arsenic a “powerful blow” to cause cartels. But successful a motion of the cartels’ strength, the apprehension sparked a question of retaliatory unit passim Sinaloa state, with gunmen throwing up roadblocks, seizing cars from terrified residents and firing connected planes astatine the airdrome successful Culiacan, the capital.
The apprehension successful Culiacan came 3 years aft a humiliating occurrence successful which the Mexican service detained the younger Guzmán but past released him arsenic Sinaloa cartel gunmen seized power of overmuch of the city. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who took bureau successful 2018 pledging to regenerate the “war connected drugs” with a information argumentation much focused connected societal programs, was wide criticized for giving up the alleged trafficker.
Ovidio Guzmán is 1 of respective sons of El Chapo who person allegedly assumed salient roles successful the Sinaloa cartel since their begetter was extradited to the United States successful 2017. Mexican authorities person accused him of being a large fentanyl trafficker. The U.S. authorities has sought his extradition for years.
Mexico has go the main supplier of fentanyl to the U.S., overtaking China, a improvement that has alarmed American authorities. U.S. fatalities from cause overdoses topped 107,000 successful 2021, the highest ever. Two-thirds of the deaths progressive fentanyl.
Biden is scheduled to get Monday successful Mexico for a bilateral gathering with López Obrador, successful which the fentanyl situation is expected to beryllium an important topic. Biden volition past clasp a acme with the Mexican and Canadian leaders Tuesday.
The cognition to prehend Guzmán turned parts of Sinaloa into warfare zones. About 900 army, nationalist defender troops and authorities constabulary swarmed into Culiacan for the seizure successful Jesus Maria, a hamlet connected the bluish borderline of the city, the outlet Reforma reported. A video circulating connected societal media shows a chopper gunship opening occurrence connected a home, the bullets streaking done the acheronian predawn sky.
As reports of the apprehension ricocheted done the state, cartel fighters threw up roadblocks successful Culiacan and different cities, acceptable cars ablaze and blocked highways. Gunmen opened occurrence connected a nationalist defender pitchy astatine the city’s airport, according to section media. Passengers connected an Aeromexico formation owed to permission Culiacan for Mexico City cowered successful the aisles arsenic the airdrome came nether fire, according to a video changeable by a passenger.
The airports successful Culiacan and the coastal formation municipality of Mazatlan, 135 miles to the south, announced Thursday that they were shutting down owed to information concerns. Schools closed passim Sinaloa, and Gov. Ruben Rocha urged citizens to enactment astatine home.
U.S. instrumentality enforcement agencies confiscated much than 45,300 pounds of fentanyl done the archetypal 11 months of 2022, up from 5,800 pounds successful 2018, according to a Washington Post investigation of authorities data. In November, U.S. authorities seized 2,900 pounds astatine the confederate border, the highest monthly full ever.
Gabriela Martinez contributed to this report.
English (US)