Cartels have sometimes unleashed violence on cities in retaliation for the arrest of prominent cartel figures.
Mexican authorities have arrested Ovidio Guzman, the son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, according to multiple news sources. In response, alleged cartel members set cars on fire and carjacked residents in the city of Culiacan in Sinaloa province on Wednesday night and into Thursday.
It is not clear what sparked the violence, but such actions are sometimes taken in response to the arrest of a cartel member. The mayor of Culiacan has advised citizens not to leave their homes due to the blockades that have occurred in different parts of the city.
After the arrest of his father, Ovidio Guzman became an important figure in the Sinaloa Cartel and was briefly detained by Mexican authorities in October 2019. In response, gunmen started shooting throughout the city and Ovidio Guzman was released, which was seen as a setback for the administration of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
In a press conference on Thursday, Lopez Obrador acknowledged that there were ongoing operations in Culiacan but did not provide further details. Unverified footage on social media appears to show gunfire and a helicopter in Culiacan, and the airport has suspended operations until Thursday evening. Municipal employees have also been told to suspend work.
The arrest of Ovidio Guzman, a son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, has led to a wave of violence in the city of Culiacan, Sinaloa province in Mexico. Cars were set on fire and residents were carjacked by alleged cartel members, and the city has issued a warning for citizens not to leave their homes due to the violence.
The cause of the violence is not yet known, but such actions often occur following the arrest of a cartel member. In October 2019, Ovidio Guzman was briefly detained by Mexican authorities, leading to a similar wave of violence in the city.
The Mexican government has struggled to deal with the power and violence of drug cartels in the country, and President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been criticized for relying on the military to address the issue. Rights groups have raised concerns about abuses by the military and the removal of civilian control over the National Guard.
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