Ovidio Guzman, the head of a drug cartel in Mexico and the son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, has been arrested, five government agencies with knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Thursday.
The arrest was announced during a night of unrest in the northern state of Sinaloa’s city of Culiacan, which is home to the same-named drug cartel and one of the most potent drug trafficking groups in the world.
Security forces reportedly detained Ovidio in 2019 after his father was arrested, but he was soon freed to prevent violent retaliation from his gang, which was a humiliating failure for the government. Ovidio has since grown to be a major position in the Sinaloa Cartel.
His arrest happens just a few days ahead of a summit of North American leaders that will take place in Mexico City the upcoming week. United States President Joe Biden will participate, and the conference’s agenda will include security-related topics.
According to one of the Mexican authorities, the arrest of Guzman will likely strengthen US-Mexico security collaboration before Biden’s arrival.
The United States had promised a $5 million reward for information that resulted in Ovidio’s capture or conviction.
