Xinhua News Agency, Mexico City, January 6 (Reporter Zhu Yubo) Mexican Defense Minister Sandoval said on the 6th that the Mexican military and police arrested Ovidio Guzman, the son of the big drug lord Joaquin Guzman on the 5th. A total of 29 people were killed in the arrest operation, including 10 soldiers.
Sandoval said at a press conference on the 6th that the Mexican National Guard discovered a suspicious convoy while patrolling Culiacan in the northern state of Sinaloa on the 5th. Members of the suspected drug cartel refused to be checked and attacked security personnel.
The Mexican military rushed to reinforce and acted together with the National Guard, arresting Ovidio and many others, and escorting Ovidio to a prison in Mexico State.
According to Sandoval, the attackers were well-equipped with weapons. The military and police seized multiple large-caliber sniper rifles, machine guns and other weapons, and destroyed dozens of bulletproof vehicles.
According to Mexican media reports, during the conflict with the military and police, members of the drug cartel robbed citizens' vehicles to block roads and set fires in commercial centers and other places, affecting the security situation in Culiacan and its surrounding areas.
Local schools and airports were temporarily closed, and residents were asked to stay at home.
Mexican President Lopez said at a press conference on the 6th that the military and police will continue to patrol the area to maintain security and order.
The United States has filed an extradition request with Mexico because Ovidio had shipped a variety of drugs to the United States.
Mexican Foreign Minister Ebrard said on the 6th that whether to agree to the extradition will be decided by the judge based on the evidence submitted by the United States.
Ovidio is the head of a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, a major Mexican drug cartel.
His father, drug lord Joaquin Guzman, was arrested in Mexico in 2016, extradited to the United States in 2017, and sentenced to life in prison in 2019.
(Xinhuanet)