Gunfire hits two planes and gangs erect road blocks after a son of the notorious drug kingpin is seized.
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Two people have died in clashes in the state of Sinaloa following the arrest of a son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo”.
Ovidio Guzmán-López – himself alleged to be a leader of his father’s former cartel – was captured in Culiacán after a six-month surveillance operation.
Furious gang members set up road blocks, set fire to vehicles and attacked a local airport.
A passenger plane was hit by gunfire while preparing to take off.
More than a hundred flights were cancelled at three Sinaloa airports.
Sinaloa’s state governor earlier said 18 people had been admitted to hospital.
Mr Guzmán-López is accused of leading a faction of his father’s notorious Sinaloa cartel, Defence Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said. It is one of the largest drug-trafficking organisations in the world.
Hi father, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, is serving a life sentence in the US after being found guilty in 2019 of drug trafficking and money laundering. His trial revealed some of the brutal details of how Mexico’s drug cartels operate.
Image source, US State Department
The surveillance operation to capture Mr Guzmán-López had the support of US officials, and he has now been transferred to a safe location in Mexico City, Defence Minister Sandoval added.
Videos on social media show burning buses blocking roads in Culiacán.
The fuselage of a plane scheduled to fly from Culiacán to Mexico City was hit by gunfire on Thursday morning as it was preparing for take-off, Mexican airline Aeromexico said.
No customers or employees had been harmed, it said. A video posted on social media appears to show passengers crouching and cowering in their seats.
Image source, Reuters
US President Joe Biden is due to visit Mexico for a North American leaders’ summit next week.
Federal armed forces had been carrying out an operation in Culiacán since dawn on Thursday, Mayor Ruben Rocha Moya confirmed on Twitter earlier.
He said there were blockades in different parts of the city and urged residents to stay at home.
Schools have closed in Culiacán, the local government body overseeing education announced on social media.
Mexican security forces had previously arrested Mr Guzmán-López in 2019 but released him to avoid the threat of violence from his supporters.
The US state department says he and his brother Joaquín are currently overseeing approximately eleven methamphetamine labs in the state of Sinaloa, producing an estimated 1,300- 2,200kg (3000-5000lb) of the drug per month.
They have also said that information indicates Mr Guzmán-López ordered the murders of informants, a drug trafficker and a popular Mexican singer who refused to sing at his wedding.
In December, the US announced a reward of up to $5m (£4.2m) for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mr Guzmán-López and three of his brothers, who are thought to have kept their positions of command in the group.