Three security force members have died in clashes in the state of Sinaloa after the arrest of a son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo”.
Ovidio Guzmán-López – himself alleged to be a leader of his father’s former cartel – was captured in Culiacán after a six-month surveillance operation.
Furious gang members set up road blocks, set fire to vehicles and attacked a local airport.
A passenger plane was hit by gunfire while preparing to take off.
More than a hundred flights were cancelled at three Sinaloa airports.
Sinaloa’s state governor earlier said 18 people had been admitted to hospital.
Guzmán-López – nicknamed “The Mouse” – is accused of leading a faction of his father’s notorious Sinaloa cartel, Defence Minister Luis Cresenci said. It is one of the largest drug-trafficking organisations in the world.
Hi father, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, is serving a life sentence in the US after being found guilty in 2019 of drug trafficking and money laundering. His trial revealed some of the brutal details of how Mexico’s drug cartels operate.
The surveillance operation to capture Guzmán-López had the support of US officials, and he has now been transferred to a safe location in Mexico City, Defence Minister Sandoval added.
Videos on social media show burning buses blocking roads in Culiacán, Sinaloa’s main city.
The fuselage of a plane scheduled to fly from Culiacán to Mexico City was hit by gunfire on Thursday morning as it was preparing for take-off, Mexican airline Aeromexico said.
No customers or employees had been harmed, it said. A video posted on social media appears to show passengers crouching and cowering in their seats.
