Ovidio Guzman arrested (again) January 5, 2023
Car burning along the federal highway just north of Mazatlan
Car burning along the federal highway just north of Mazatlan
To Start: The events described below are NOT currently occurring in Baja California Sur. If you are planning a trip to Mazatlan or central mainland Mexico you should remain apprised of the current situation. The governments of both the USA and Canada have put Sinaloa on the "Do Not Travel" list this morning. We post this mainland news because many winter visitors to Baja also make the jump to visit mainland cities.
Updated: 01/06/23 Things are quieter for the time being in Sinaloa. Bus service has been reestablished in Mazatlan and the Mazatlan International Airport has reopened, but there are still flight disruptions. Things are still in flux in Culiacan. It has been reported in yesterday's capture of Ovidio Guman Lopez that ten military died and 19 cartel combatants. The combat included a Mexican Marine Black Hawk minigun strike against a 50cal cartel heavy machinegun position. After the capture of Guzman, the military even played the Shell Game with him, dispatching two teams and two Air Force jets to transport Guzman to CDMX, so there was only a 50% chance of liberating him with a counter-attack. Guzman received a stay of extradition to the United States. The usual process since Guzman is accused of capital crimes Mexico must receive a guarantee of exemption to the Death Penalty. Mexico would like to quickly extridite him to the US for trial so that further uprisings which happened in 2019 will not result in a government capitulation and releasing him again.
01/05/23 Early Thursday morning the son of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel head El Chapo, Ovidio Guzmán López, El Ratón has recaptured. In response, the state of Sinaloa erupted in cartel violence in Mazatlan, Los Mochis, Guaymas, and most dramatically in Culiacan. The entrance to the airport was/is blocked by armed cartel enforcers and burning tractor trailers and one arriving AeroMexico airliner arriving from Mexico City and an arriving military transport aircraft were fired upon in Culiacan. (ADN40)
The Culiacan airport and the Mazatlan International Airport have closed and all flights have been canceled. The reopening will be assessed Friday morning but is scheduled for 2 PM 1/6/23.
All public services and schools are closed. Businesses are encouraged to close, and residents remain in their homes across Sinaloa. The soccer game between Leon and Mazatlan has been postponed. Public transportation has been suspended and bus lines have suspended service in the state. Main highways have been blocked by burning vehicles between Sinaloa and Nayarit.
It is reported that a riot has also broken out at the Federal Penitentiary, in Culiacan, further taxing law enforcement in the state.
In 2019 the capture of Ovidio Guzmán resulted in Culiacanazo, a virtual war between the cartels and the government., causing a similar eruption of violence in three states of mainland Mexico. After days of violence, the government capitulated and released Guzman. This current surge of violence this morning already exceeds which resulted in the first capitulation.
Ovidio Guzman was promptly transferred to more secure detention in Mexico City.
Baja California Sur endured a violent period of drug-related violence from 2014-2018, peaking with more than 700 homicides in one calendar year. The conflict was between the Regina Del Sur and the Sinaloa cartel following the "Queen's" arrest and the resulting power vacuum. The past three years have been much more tranquil. But Tuesday, a Narco message was found hanging from a pedestrian bridge in Cabo San Lucas "Good Morning Toni (Jorge) (Chuy)We're coming, Sincerely La Chapiza". The message was posted just before the arrest of Guzman Thursday.
The northern portion of Baja California Sur, from Mulege to the US border, is allegedly controlled by The Pacific Cartel, which is an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel. The southern portion of the state has been controlled by the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) since January of 2018, when it pushed the Pacific Cartel out of La Paz and Cabo San Lucas, north to Loreto. CJNG is known as one of the most aggressively violent in Mexico.
Hopefully, we will not see an increase in violence in Baja California Sur caused by the power vacuum caused by Chapito's arrest today.
Sources:
https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/
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