One of the sons of the notorious jailed leader of the powerful and violent Sinaloa drug cartels has been arrested, several days before the North American Leaders Summit in Mexico City, which is being attended by US President Joe Biden, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Ovidio Guzman-son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was arrested after a painstaking six-month surveillance operation, in the Northern City of Culican, the stronghold of the Sinaloa drug cartel.

This comes, prior to the North American Leaders Summit in Mexico City on January 9th and 10th. 

Cartel gunman went on a rampage blocking highways, torching vehicles and shooting at a civilian and a military flight in the airport. 

So far, three members of the security forces have died in gunbattles.

But, none the less, Ovidio has been sent to Mexico City under heavy armed escort, and on to the Alto Plano maximum security prison in the State of Mexico, from where his father escaped in 2015 via a tunnel, until finally being recaptured six months later, and eventually extradited to the United States, where he’s now serving a life sentence. 

Ovidio was previously arrested in 2019, but the cartel surrounded a compound where army families lived, took hostages elsewhere, and so he was released in order to save lives.

This time, authorities are better prepared, organized and coordinated.  

The illicit cross-border, narcotics industry,  is worth more than 40 billion dollars annually, with addicts in the United States needing drugs, and Mexican organized crime supplying them, via the largest transit route in the World.

This arrest although important, significant and symbolic, won’t elicit even a ripple in that smooth running current, of multi-national crime, based upon supply catering to demand. 

For any Opinions, breaking news, Exposes, story ideas, human interest articles or Exclusive inside Stories; email Uganda Daily on: [email protected].