snoop1130 Posted October 18, 2019 Share Posted October 18, 2019 Cartel gunmen terrorise Mexican city, free El Chapo's son By Dave Graham, Lizbeth Diaz Cartel gunmen are seen near a burning truck during clashes with federal forces following the detention of Ovidio Guzman, son of drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico October 17, 2019. REUTERS/Jesus Bustamante MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Heavily armed fighters surrounded security forces in a Mexican city on Thursday and made them free one of drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman’s sons, after his capture triggered gunbattles and a prison break that sent civilians scurrying for cover. Security Minister Alfonso Durazo said a patrol by National Guard militarised police first came under attack from within a house in the city of Culiacan, 1,235 km (770 miles) northwest of Mexico City. After entering the house, they found four men, including Ovidio Guzman, who is accused of drug trafficking in the United States. The patrol was quickly outmatched by cartel gunmen, however, and it was withdrawn to prevent lives being lost, the government said. Simultaneously, fighters swarmed through the city, battling police and soldiers in broad daylight. They torched vehicles and left at least one gas station ablaze. “The decision was taken to retreat from the house, without Guzman, to try to avoid more violence in the area and preserve the lives of our personnel and recover calm in the city,” Durazo told Reuters. The reaction to Guzman’s capture was on a scale rarely seen during Mexico’s long drug war, even after his more famous father’s arrests. The chaos was continuing as night fell. A large group of inmates escaped from the city prison. Residents cowered in shopping centres and supermarkets as gunfire roared. Black plumes of smoke rose across the skyline. Families with young children left their cars and lay flat in the road. Bullets cracked up ahead. “Dad, can we get up now?” a small boy said to his father in a video posted on Twitter. “No, stay there on the floor,” the man replied, his voice trembling. Cristobal Castaneda, head of security in Sinaloa, told the Televisa network that two people had been killed and 21 injured, according to preliminary information. He said police had come under attack when they approached roadblocks manned by gunmen. He advised residents not to leave their homes. It was not immediately clear if members of the patrol were harmed in the standoff. Reuters TV showed scenes of at least three bodies lying next to cars on the street. WARNED OF REPRISALS The chaos in Culiacan, long a stronghold for the Guzmans’ Sinaloa cartel, will increase pressure on President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office in December promising to pacify a country weary after more than a decade of drug-war fighting. Murders this year are set to be at a record high. Thursday’s events follow the massacre of more than a dozen police in western Mexico earlier this week, and the killing of 14 suspected gangsters by the army a day later. Falko Ernst, senior analyst for the International Crisis Group in Mexico, said the release of Ovidio Guzman set “a dangerous precedent” and sent a message that the state itself, including the army, could be blackmailed and was not in control. Presumed cartel members apparently intercepted a radio frequency used by security forces, one video showed, warning of reprisals against soldiers if Guzman was not freed. A state police spokesman confirmed to Reuters that several prisoners escaped from a prison during the chaos. Video footage showed a group of at least 20 prisoners running in the streets. It was not immediately clear how many had escaped. “They are freeing them,” a panicked woman said in the video apparently filmed from an tall building. “No we can’t go outside!” she said as other voices debated making a dash for their car. In another video, a man driving repeatedly shouted: “There is a big gunfight,” before taking a sharp turn and leaving his car at a gas station to take cover. His voice then became inaudible because of the rattling roar of automatic gunfire. ‘El Chapo’ Guzman led the Sinaloa cartel for decades, escaping from prison twice before being arrested and extradited to the United States. He was found guilty in a U.S. court in February of smuggling tons of drugs and sentenced to life in prison. He is believed to have about 12 children including Ovidio. The U.S. Department of Justice unveiled an indictment against Ovidio and another of the brothers in February, charging them with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana in the United States. The indictment gave Ovidio’s age as 28, and said he had been involved in trafficking conspiracies since he was a teenager. Jose Luis Gonzalez Meza, a lawyer for the Guzmans, told news network Milenio that Ovidio had been in touch with the family and said he was free. -- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-18 Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegman Posted October 18, 2019 Share Posted October 18, 2019 There is no telling who is on the cartel's payroll down there. Was the army scared or paid into backing off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanemax Posted October 18, 2019 Share Posted October 18, 2019 1 hour ago, pegman said: There is no telling who is on the cartel's payroll down there. Was the army scared or paid into backing off? The gangs had more firepower Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olfu Posted October 18, 2019 Share Posted October 18, 2019 ...gunfight?--in plain English its called civil war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigC Posted October 19, 2019 Share Posted October 19, 2019 Only 1 way to end the blood is the legalise cocaine distribution and stop extradition treaties Work together or kill each other They are selling a product that has high demand If the US has a problem then they shall have to deal with it when the traffickers cross the border. Choice of keeping Americans happy or kill each other in Mexico If the blood stops maybe less migrants needing assylum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin case Posted October 20, 2019 Share Posted October 20, 2019 columbia & thailand, so many things in commen corruption, lawlessness, billionaire generals from, ahum, their government salary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baerboxer Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 4 hours ago, justin case said: columbia & thailand, so many things in commen corruption, lawlessness, billionaire generals from, ahum, their government salary You do know this OP is about Mexico? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tug Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 We here in the USA need to close the loopholes in our gun laws that will help with the easy access to assault weapons and get a handle on our drug addictets the majority of Mexicans are hard working resourceful family folks they deserve better than this next time they see that (deleted)just shoot him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegman Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 On October 18, 2019 at 1:14 PM, sanemax said: The gangs had more firepower There is a major military base in that city so I don't buy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somtamnication Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 I worked there in the early 90s. Most police and feds are affiliated. They have informants EVERYWHERE. For the US, it is a political war, not law enforcement. It will not end any time soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solinvictus Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 On 10/19/2019 at 5:20 AM, olfu said: ...gunfight?--in plain English its called civil war. "Civil war" has really entered into the minds of folks as of late due to the amount of times it can be heard on tv. But I suppose yeah, that's what it is and a small at that regarding the story above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegman Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 47 minutes ago, Somtamnication said: I worked there in the early 90s. Most police and feds are affiliated. They have informants EVERYWHERE. For the US, it is a political war, not law enforcement. It will not end any time soon. What if the Mex Gov stopped enforcement of drug laws? Would it lessen the bloodshed? Americans seem to care less about illegal weapons going south. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 2 hours ago, pegman said: What if the Mex Gov stopped enforcement of drug laws? Would it lessen the bloodshed? Americans seem to care less about illegal weapons going south. That's an interesting concept, but I suspect that much of this has to do with the business of smuggling drugs into the US and further north. I think the cartels are fighting over such things as territory, routes and related matters. ...and of course, it would no doubt tick off their neighbor to the north and that would be a big problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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