US seeks extradition of El Chapo’s son

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - The United States has officially asked Mexico to extradite Ovidio Guzman, a son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, for smuggling narcotics into the US.

Since December 2021, the US State Department has offered an award of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest.

According to the State Department, Ovidio and his brother Joaquin Guzman-Lopez are heading a transnational drug empire that oversees 11 methamphetamine labs in the state of Sinaloa producing an estimated 3,000-5,000 pounds of methamphetamine per month.

Ovidio was arrested in October 2019, prompting criminal groups to respond violently. He was released on the orders of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to ensure residents' safety in the face of attacks by armed men seeking to free him.

The result of the failed operation, later called "El Culiacanazo," or "Black Thursday," left nine people dead.

Shortly after Ovidio’s second arrest on Jan. 5, a district judge from Mexico City ruled that he should not be delivered to the US government or any other state. The motion was moved by Ovidio's lawyers, who appealed against Guzman's extradition.

The slowing down of Ovidio’s extradition process is reportedly being done to ensure that it is carried out lawfully.