Mexican president says he ordered release of 'El Chapo's' son

Record ID: 1558097

  • Title: Mexican president says he ordered release of 'El Chapo's' son
  • Date: 20th June 2020
  • Summary: RHEDA-WIEDENBRUECK, GERMANY (JUNE 20, 2020) (REUTERS) SOLDIER STANDING AT TOENNIES MEAT FACTORY VARIOUS OF WORKINGS COMING OUT OF FACTORY GUETERSLOH, GERMANY (JUNE 20, 2020) (REUTERS) ARMY STANDING AT CARS VARIOUS OF ARMY WITH SUPPLIES VARIOUS OF GERMAN RED CROSS HAVING BRIEFING RHEDA-WIEDENBRUECK, GERMANY (JUNE 20, 2020) (REUTERS) WORKERS GOING INTO TOENNIES FACTORY SOLDI
  • Embargoed: 4th July 2020 01:34
  • Keywords: Joaquin ´El Chapo' Guzman Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Sinaloa cartel military operation
  • Location: CUERNAVACA, MORELOS AND CULIACAN, SINALOA - MEXICO
  • City: CUERNAVACA, MORELOS AND CULIACAN, SINALOA - MEXICO
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA002CJ1B2VB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday (June 19) said he personally ordered the release of Ovidio Guzman, one of the sons of notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, after his brief detention during a military operation.
    Scenes of mayhem during the operation caused Lopez Obrador's government considerable embarrassment in October as security forces briefly captured Ovidio in Culiacan, capital of western Sinaloa state, only to let him go hours later as security forces were overwhelmed by cartel forces.
    Likely tipped off ahead of the operation, hundreds of heavily armed gunmen from the Sinaloa Cartel had poured into the city of a million people during an hours-long siege, erecting flaming roadblocks and unloading bursts of gunfire in the streets in a coordinated effort to free the younger Guzman.
    Lopez Obrador had previously said his security cabinet made the call to release Ovidio, a decision he said he endorsed to protect terrorized residents from the crossfire between cartel henchmen and security forces.
    Friday was the first time the president openly acknowledged having given the order himself.
    Lopez Obrador added that a couple days later U.S. President Donald Trump offered to help crack down on the cartel, but Mexico did not accept it. The United States continues to seek Ovidio's extradition.
    Despite Lopez Obrador's promises to tame spiraling violence with policies focused on relieving rampant poverty and youth unemployment, homicides in Mexico have climbed to record levels during the first four months of this year.
    In 2019, the president's first full year in office, homicides hit an all-time high.
    (Production: Manuel Carrillo)
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register