During the capture of the son of Mexican drug lord “El Chapo,” 29 people were murdered.
On Thursday, Ovidio Guzmán-López, who is accused of being a commander in his father’s previous cartel, was apprehended in Culiacán and flown to Mexico City.
Officials say 10 soldiers and 19 suspects were murdered during the 32-year arrest. old’s
In response, enraged gang members put up roadblocks, set fire to vehicles, and attacked a nearby airport.
A further 35 military personnel were injured and 21 gunmen were arrested, Defence Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval told a press conference on Friday.
Guzmán-López – nicknamed “The Mouse” – is accused of leading a faction of his father’s notorious Sinaloa cartel. It is one of the largest drug-trafficking organizations in the world.
Mr Sandoval stated that the six-month monitoring operation to apprehend Mr Guzmán-López had the support of US officials.
The US offered a reward of up to $5 million (£4.2 million) in December for information leading to his capture or conviction, as well as those of three of his brothers, who are also considered to have retained their positions of command in the group.
The early raid in Culiacán, Sinaloa state, northwestern Mexico, prompted a wave of bloodshed from armed cartel members.
In attacks blamed on the Sinaloa cartel, dozens of vehicles were set on fire and at least two planes were injured by gunfire at Sinaloa airports. As a result, almost 100 flights were cancelled at local airports.
According to Defence Minister Sandoval, two Mexican Air Force planes were forced to make emergency landings after being struck by cartel gunfire.
Authorities dispatched helicopter gunships to assist with the ground operation.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated that Mexican forces responded appropriately in order to protect civilians and avoid innocent casualties. There have been no reports of civilian deaths.
A further 1,000 troops are being sent to Sinaloa to help with ongoing security measures.
Videos on social media have shown burning buses blocking roads in Culiacán.
The fuselage of a plane scheduled to fly from Culiacán to Mexico City was hit by gunfire on Thursday morning as it was preparing for take-off, Mexican airline Aeromexico said.
No customers or employees had been harmed, it said. A video posted on social media appears to show passengers crouching and cowering in their seats.
“As we were accelerating for take-off, we heard gunshots very close to the plane, and that’s when we all threw ourselves to the floor,” one of the passengers, David Tellez, told Reuters news agency.
An air force plane was also hit in Culiacán, Mexico’s civil aviation agency said.
US President Joe Biden is due to visit Mexico for a North American leaders’ summit next week. He will now arrive on Sunday, a day earlier than previously expected, according to a tweet by Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard. No reason was given for why he was arriving early.
There were blockades in different parts of the city and residents were urged to stay at home. Many shops were also looted and gunfire exchanges took place between security forces and gang members.
According to the local government authority in charge of education, all schools in Sinaloa were closed on Friday.
Guzmán-López was previously detained by Mexican authorities in 2019, but he was released to avert the possibility of violence from his supporters.
According to the US State Department, he and his brother Joaqun are currently in charge of 11 methamphetamine labs in Sinaloa, producing an estimated 1,300- 2,200kg (3,000-5,000lb) of the substance every month.
They have also stated that evidence suggests Mr. Guzmán-López ordered the murders of informants, a drug trafficker, and a popular Mexican singer who refused to perform at his wedding.
