Ovidio is one of 10 sons that El Chapo Guzman had in his three marriages. Currently, the elder drug lord is serving a life term in prison in the U.S. after a lengthy trial that exposed the highest levels of Mexico’s government and security apparatus as receiving money from cartels.
Ortiz: Mexican President AMLO Proves Impotent Against Paramilitary Drug Cartels
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The capture of a wanted drug lord and his subsequent release after pressure from the Sinaloa Cartel set a dangerous precedent, revealing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) and his cabinet to be impotent against the narco-terrorists controlling most of the country. The episode raises serious questions about Mexico’s role as a partner in the U.S. government’s fight against cartels.
This week, gunmen from Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) ambushed and murdered 13 police officers in a show of force with armored vehicles, rocket-propelled grenades, .50 caliber rifles, and other weapons.
The violence comes at a time when AMLO has reassigned most of the country’s Marines to coastal cities–away from violent cartel hotspots. For years, the Mexican Marines earned a reputation as a trustworthy fighting force in a country where large parts of the security apparatus and politicians serve crime lords, according to recent testimony from the trial of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
The withdrawal of military forces in addition to AMLO’s rhetoric about not fighting cartel “violence with violence” came to a turning point Thursday afternoon when federal forces captured and later released Ovidio “El Raton” Guzman Lopez, one of El Chapo’s 10 sons. Friday, AMLO revealed that his security staff made the decision to release Guzman to preserve the peace after the Sinaloa Cartel deployed hundreds of gunmen to terrorize Culiacan. Regardless, the violence proceeded for hours after the heir’s release.
The combat experienced in Culiacan is not new. For years, cartels operating in border cities near Texas have morphed into paramilitary forces capable of outgunning authorities. The access to firepower, artillery, and explosives pushes the criminal organizations beyond mere drug smugglers into factions capable of performing terror tactics like seen in Middle Eastern war zones.
During his Friday press conference, AMLO said his government was focused on fighting for social justice and improving the country’s living conditions in the face of the narco threat. The president previously said he would report criminals to their mothers for spankings and even encouraged civilians to yell “Fuchi Guacala” (yuck!) at the sight of gunmen to shame them into improved behavior.
Señor Presidente, Mexico esta en llamas.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Mexico Forced to Release El Chapo’s Son After Paramilitary Cartel Violence
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The Sinaloa Cartel forced the Mexican government to release a son of infamous drug lord “El Chapo” after threatening extreme violence against innocent civilians. Soldiers arrested the kingpin’s heir several hours earlier in an operation that triggered shootouts in Culiacan on Thursday.
During his Friday morning press conference, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) tried to deflect from the topic by talking about security in another state, but eventually confirmed his cabinet released Guzman Lopez to avoid further violence.
“There can’t be a higher value on a criminal’s capture than in the lives of people,” AMLO said as he tried to explain his approach of not fighting cartels with violence–but with programs addressing social issues and injustices.
AMLO also disclosed that the arrest operation was based on a federal warrant “with extradition purposes” to the United States.
The arrest led to mass chaos as cartel gunmen carried out various acts of terror, including a breakout in the Aguaruto Prison. Several shootouts and threats of violence targeting civilians were also issued. Cartel gunmen even threatened to kill the wives and children of soldiers in Culiacan. Authorities disclosed Friday that the Sinaloa Cartel managed to kidnap several soldiers and used them as leverage to trade for Guzman Lopez.
During a televised news conference on Thursday night, Public Safety Secretary Alfonso Durazo gave a vague version of events where he appears to reveal that security forces released Guzman Lopez.
Mensaje del Gabinete de Seguridad sobre los hechos suscitados en Culiacán, Sinaloa:
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“With the purpose of safeguarding the superior good of the integrity of Culiacan’s society, officials with the Security Cabinet agreed to stop such actions,” Durazo said in a televised statement. Since then, various news outlets in Mexico have independently confirmed the release of Ovidio.
One of those confirmations came from Jose Luis Gonzalez Mesa, an attorney for the Guzman family who gave various TV interviews in Mexico.
#Entrevista "Ovidio Guzmán, se encuentra bien, ya se comunicó con su familia: José Luis González Meza, abogado de #ElChapo #AzucenaxMilenio
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Prior to his release, according to SinEmbargo.mx, a group of gunmen attacked a prison in Culiacan, allowing the prisoners to escape. A video posted on social media revealed the moment when a large number of inmates can be seen running out of the facility.
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Ovidio is one of 10 sons that El Chapo Guzman had in his three marriages. Currently, the elder drug lord is serving a life term in prison in the U.S. after a lengthy trial that exposed the highest levels of Mexico’s government and security apparatus as receiving money from cartels.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
300 Pounds of Meth, Cocaine Seized at Texas Border
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Rio Grande Valley Sector Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to the Hidalgo International Bridge seized more than 300 pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine during multiple smuggling attempts. The seizures have an estimated street value of nearly $6 million.
CBP Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers assigned to the international bridge that connects Hidalgo, Texas, with the key cartel drug smuggling town of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, disrupted three unrelated attempts as two Mexican nationals and a woman from Houston attempted to move cargo across the border. In total, the officers seized more than 30 pounds of cocaine and nearly 180 pounds of methamphetamine.
CBP officials seize 12 packages containing 152 pounds of
methamphetamine seized by CBP officers at the
Hidalgo International Bridge. (Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
methamphetamine seized by CBP officers at the
Hidalgo International Bridge. (Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
A CBP officer assigned to the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge on October 12 observed a white 2014 Ford Focus approaching for inspection for entry into the United States, officials reported. The officer referred the 24-year-old driver from Mexico to a secondary inspection station. Officers at the secondary inspection station carried out a search with the use of a non-intrusive imaging system. The search revealed 13 packages hidden within the car. The officers conducted a physical search of the car and found the 13 packages contained 32.36 pounds of cocaine. Officials estimated the street value of the cocaine to be approximately $250,000. The officers placed the Mexican man under arrest and seized the drugs and the vehicle.
Other officers working the same bridge that evening observed a 2008 Toyota Corolla approaching for entry to the U.S. and inspection. A K-9 officer alerted to the possible presence of drugs in the car. Other officers carried out a physical search of the Corolla and found 20 packages allegedly containing 152 pounds of methamphetamine. Officials estimated the drugs to be worth approximately 3,050,000. The officers arrested the 28-year-old Mexican woman from Reynosa and seized the vehicle and the drugs, according to the information provided by CBP officials.
Two days later, a 24-year-old woman from Houston attempted to re-enter the U.S. from Reynosa in a 1997 Ford Explorer. A CBP officer referred the woman, a U.S. citizen, to a secondary inspection station where officers found what they allege to be 126.72 pounds of liquid methamphetamine. CBP officials reported the street value of the methamphetamine to be $2,535,000. The officers placed the woman under arrest and seized the drugs and the vehicle.
Officials turned all three cases over to ICE Homeland Security Investigations.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Face
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