Jamari Stanton, Staff Writer

Culiacan, the capital of Mexico’s Sinaloa state was transformed into a warzone following the attempt to capture a son of notorious drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, former leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel on Oct. 17. Guzman was convicted on murder conspiracies and drug-related charges and is currently serving a life sentence plus 30 years in the United States.

Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said Mexican troops apprehended Ovidio Guzman Lopez because of an extradition arrest warrant issued by a federal judge in Washington, D.C. The US Department of Justice charged Lopez with conspiracy to distribute drugs to be imported into the US over a 10-year period ranging from 2008 to 2018. He is believed to have conspired with his brother, Juaquin Guzman Lopez to distribute and import marijuana, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the US.

The attempted arrest sparked a spread of terror including firefights, captured government soldiers, and burning vehicles. Social media was flooded with videos depicting masked men riding in the back of pickup trucks with mounted machine guns and holding rocket launchers as well as citizens frantically trying to find safety and escape the bullets that showered businesses and vehicles throughout Culiacan. The cartel overpowered the security forces, leaving the city in “a situation of panic,” according to Security Minister Alfonso Durazo.

Durazo and Sandoval said Mexican security forces ultimately decided to suspend the operation and release Guzman Lopez to restore peace in Culiacan. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador supported the decision to release Guzman Lopez despite the fact that many oppose government submission to the brutal cartels.  

“The capture of a criminal cannot be worth more than the lives of the people…” Lopez Obrador stated in a press briefing in Oaxaca. 

Upon the suspension of the operation, nine members of the Mexican security forces that were being held hostage were released by suspected cartel members unharmed. Businesses and schools remained closed, and the streets of the city were abandoned until Saturday. 

The intense battles left at least seven people dead, including five suspected cartel members, one Mexican law enforcement agent, and one civilian. The Mexican Security Cabinet blamed the failure on the soldiers noting that the operation was poorly planned and executed.