For: EFE Updated 07 Jan 2023, 9:39 am EST
The arrest of Ovid Guzmanone of the sons of “Chapo” Guzman most wanted by the United States, has unleashed waves of violence in northern Mexico and speculation about the role of Washington, which has been requesting his extradition since 2019.
These are the five keys to the arrest of the heir to “Chapo” and what it has caused:
1- Arrest and imprisonment
Ovidio Guzmán was arrested at dawn on Thursday in the state of Sinaloa, in an operation by the Mexican Armed Forces that ended in violent riots in the region.
Later, the drug trafficker was flown to Mexico Citywhere they made him available to the Specialized Prosecutor for Organized Crime (Femdo) and interned him at the Federal Center for Social Readaptation (Cefereso) number 1 Altiplano -also known as the Almoloya prison-, located in the State of Mexico, where his father was also held, who escaped from there in 2015.
2- At least 29 dead in the riots
The arrest of Guzmán, nicknamed “The mouse”led to a day of violence in Sinaloa, especially in Culiacán (state capital), Los Mochis and Mazatlán, which resulted in at least 29 deaths, a dozen soldiers and 19 members of organized crime, reported the Mexican Government.
The roadblocks with vehicles set on fire, the armed attacks, the closure of airports and the suspension of business and school activities reminded the “culiacanazo”the violent events that occurred in Sinaloa in 2019 after the first arrest of the drug trafficker, who was released by order of the Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obradorto avoid civilian deaths.
3- Extradition to the US, frozen
The Mexican government ruled out from the outset the fast-track extradition of the alleged criminal to the United States, who has had a request open since 2019.
The chancellor, Marcelo Ebrard, estimated that It would take Washington four to six weeks to file criminal charges.so he anticipated that the process would be slow.
This same Friday, a Mexican federal judge temporarily froze the possibility of Guzmán being handed over to the US authorities and granted him permission to receive communications in the prison where he is being held, after his defense attorneys filed appeals for amparo.
4- Crimes for drug trafficking and possession of weapons
Ovidio Guzmán faces charges in both Mexico and the United States, which would further entangle the chances of his being extradited.
In his country of origin, he faces possible crimes against health (drug trafficking) and possession of firearms for the exclusive use of the army, in addition to being investigated for organized crime, according to the head of the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Rosa Icela Rodriguez.
United States, which offered since December 2021 a $5 million reward for his captureaccuses the drug trafficker of crimes that deal with the conspiracy to introduce drugs into that country.
5- The US in the Mexican anti-drug policy
The arrest of the offender was surprising as it occurred days before the visit to Mexico of the US president, Joe Bidenon the occasion of the North American Leaders Summit, which opened the door to speculation about Washington’s influence on Mexican policy against drug trafficking.
However, the Mexican government denied any relationship between the two events and assured that The United States did not participate in the operation in which Guzmán was arrested. “We act autonomously, independently, there is cooperation and there will continue to be, but we make the decisions as a sovereign, independent government, and we make these decisions in the security cabinet,” López Obrador asserted.
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– Capture of Ovidio Guzmán: what criminals will be found in the Altiplano prison.
– This is Jesús María, the community of Sinaloa where Ovidio Guzmán finally fell.