Mexican authorities arrest son of notorious cartel leader

Mexican law enforcement on Thursday arrested Ovidio Guzmán, son of infamous drug cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. The younger Guzman is allegedly also a drug trafficker and a member of the Sinaloa cartel, said Mike Vigil, the DEA’s former Chief of International Operations. Ovidio Guzmán’s arrest sparked violence around the city of Culiacan in the northern state of Sinaloa. At least 19 suspected gang members and 10 military personnel were killed in the resulting clashes, according to Mexican officials. The operation, which included 21 other arrests, comes days before U.S. President Joe Biden and the Canadian prime minister plan to meet with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in Mexico City. 

What is the criminal history of the Guzman family? “El Chapo” Guzman was convicted in 2019 of numerous drug and crime-related charges in the U.S. Ovidio Guzman was arrested by Mexican authorities in 2019 but was released after a wave of violence. There are no plans to extradite Guzman to the U.S., where his father is imprisoned.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report in Compassion about tracking the fentanyl epidemic in the U.S.