The capture of the son of drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in northern Mexico left 29 dead, including 10 members of the country’s military, just days before U.S. President Joe Biden is set to visit the nation.
Violence persisted through the night in the city of Culiacan following Thursday’s arrest of Ovidio Guzman, considered one of the leaders of the Sinaloa cartel that allegedly fuels narcotics into the U.S., Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said on Friday. He confirmed the death toll but said no civilians were killed.
While Guzman’s arrest could show President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s commitment to fighting drug trafficking across the border with the U.S., it could also backfire if violence escalates in Sinaloa, or if it spreads into other states.
