The drug cartel members are said to have been blocked by streets outside the state prosecutor's office in Culiacán, located in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, to then open fire.

According to the British BBC, the reason for the violent scenes was that Ovidio Guzmán, the son of drug cartel leader Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, was arrested by the police during a routine check in Culiacán.

Zone new leader

Ovidio Guzmán was released by police after the attack. The state management states that they "are working to restore peace and order following the violent events that have occurred in Culiacán", according to the AFP news agency.

Culiacán pictures show lifeless bodies along the streets, but there is no official information on injured and dead victims.

Since "El Chapo" was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in the United States, son Ovidio Guzmán is said to have taken over the role of leader of the drug cartel.