A total of 29 people have died in a violent clash during the arrest of Mexican drug cartel boss Ovidio Guzman in Sinaloa, reported Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said on Friday.
Nineteen suspected gang members and 10 military personnel were the casualties in the capture of Guzman, the 32-year-old son of jailed kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, in the early hours of Thursday morning, prompting hours of unrest and shootouts with gang members, the minister said.
Guzman, known with the street name “The Mouse,” has been charged in the United States with conspiracy to traffic cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States.
US forces said he managed methamphetamine labs in Sinaloa responsible for producing “3,000 to 5,000 pounds” of the drug per month.
The State Department also said information indicated he had ordered multiple murders, including that of a popular Mexican singer who had refused to perform at his wedding.
After the clash, the United Stated halted the extradition process.
In 2021, the State Department announced a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers the Sinaloa Cartel, along with one other gang, to be responsible for most of the fentanyl inside the country which fuels the high-record of overdose deaths.
