Ovidio Guzman, son of ‘El Chapo’, captured by Mexican authorities | What we know about the arrest
Law enforcement in Mexico City carried out a large-scale operation which reportedly sparked a shoot-out and the arrest of a major drug trafficker.
Reports from Mexico City claim that Ovidio Guzman, son of notorious drug trafficker ‘El Chapo’, has been arrested on drug-related charges. The arrest came after law enforcement in the city carried out a daring operation to capture Guzman, Reuters reports.
A shoot-out appears to have taken place in the neighbourhood of Jesus Maria in the early hours of Thursday morning. Social media reports suggest that armed police moved to block off a section of the city, before a shoot-out and Guzman’s eventual arrest followed.
Local news outlet La Jornada claims that Guzman was one of the main producers and distributors of the drug fentanyl, which has been linked to a sharp increase in accidental overdoses in the United States.
There has been no official confirmation of Guzman’s arrested, but multiple statements from local officials have confirmed that a major police operation was carried out last night.
“Vehicle looting and blockades are being presented in different parts of the city, we ask citizens not to leave, we are acting accordingly, we will inform when we are able to,” said Cristobal Castañeda Camarillo, Sinaloa’s Secretary of Public Security.
Writing on Twitter, the Governor of Sinaloa wrote: “Given the events that are taking place in Culiacán, I ask the citizens to remain calm and take shelter in their homes.
“The authorities are carrying out their task and we will keep you informed.”
The younger Guzman, believed to be in his 20s, is thought to have replaced his father as the head of the Sinaloa cartel after he was arrested by Mexican police.
More on this breaking news story as it develops…