The arrest of Ovidio Guzmán in Mexico: in Sinaloa “a drug lord is captured, but five others emerge”

Interview with Radio France internationale Ramiro Cazarez editor of the weekly Mercurio de Sinaloa on the recent capture of drug trafficker Ovidio Guzmán near Culiacán, Mexico.

“Capturing the drug lords is an important step because they can’t be walking the streets like nothing happened,” says Cazarez.

-The operation in the city of Jesús María to capture Omar Ovidio Guzmanson of imprisoned drug trafficker Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán, he at least walked away 29 dead, 10 soldiers and 19 criminal suspects. Thirty-five members of the Mexican security forces were also injured. The arrest took place in the town of Jesús María, half an hour from Culiacán. In the networks we have seen aerial photos of Ovidio Guzmán’s ranch. What is striking is that it is a huge ranch with several cars and motorcycles parked. It is suspected that the young drug dealer was not very worried about a possible capture. Is that so?

– In fact, this Mr. Ovidio lived peacefully surrounded by agents of the municipal police and also by elements of the army who had to pass through there to go to the mountains. Yes, I didn’t bother.

Why turn to the army and not the police?

-Because the municipal police are mostly in collusion with organized crime. Furthermore, it is impossible that, with the weapons used by the municipal police, they can deal with the large-caliber weapons of the criminals. Around the chief’s house there were an average of 30 armored personnel carriers with large-caliber weapons. Of course, superior weapons were needed. From my point of view, there was no other choice but to resort to the army.

– Do you think this operation to capture the boss is an achievement of President López Obrador?

-Yes, because the ‘Culiacanazo’ is a painful episode that took place here in Sinaloa on October 17, 2019. That fact left much to be desired for the authorities, for the president of Mexico himself, given that he himself gave the order for ( Ovidio Guzmán) was released when he was already at the airport to be transferred to Mexico City. However, now the operation was carried out at dawn. This also reduces casualties. There were fewer civilian casualties.

Do you think there is a coincidence between this operation to capture Ovidio Guzmán and the arrival of President Biden 72 hours later?

It’s no coincidence. It was an act that had to be given. Surely many factors are already on the negotiating table. López Obrador had to impress the US authorities. The government of that country should have asked for this capture before Biden arrived in Mexico.

Why is the United States looking for Guzmán?

-Fentanyl is a drug that is flooding the United States and one of the main exporters of the drug there is Ovidio Guzmán. Here in Sinaloa it is thought that one of the agreements between the two countries was to put Guzmán’s head behind bars so that the extradition process could take place as quickly as possible.

-And do you think this extradition process will materialize?

-Yes sure. I have no doubt it will.

– Do you think this capture will bring about changes in Culiacán?

-No, it will be the same, nothing changes. A drug lord is captured, but five others escape.

-Will that happen with the Guzmán case?

-In the case of the Guzmáns, the sons of drug trafficker Joaquín Guzmán, there are two active ones. One of them has already taken the reins to replace his brother. But catching the drug lords is an important step because they can’t be walking the streets like anything, from restaurant to restaurant, for all the world to see while the authorities turn a blind eye.

The author is a journalist for RFI

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