The son of drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was extradited to the US last month. His capture in January and his extradition are major steps forward in the Mexican government’s determination to restore control over the country.
The Sinaloa Cartel has been a pioneer in the fentanyl trade. Ovidio Guzman, 33-year-old son of “El Chapo” Guzman, was a major kingpin in the trade. He and his three brothers took over the family business after their father was extradited to the US in 2016. Mexican authorities captured the younger Guzman back in 2019 but he was released after Guzman’s men went on a rampage throughout the city of Culiacan. The Mexican President, Andres Lopez Obrador, directed that Guzman be released, citing the need to avoid innocent bloodshed. He was roundly criticized for that decision: critics said it humiliated the nation and set a bad precedent. In January, the Mexican National Guard went back to Culiacan with over a thousand troops and helicopter gunships at the ready. The operation began at daybreak. They seized Guzman and once again cartel members went on a rampage. This time they kept their prisoner. By the end of the day, authorities regained control of the city and cleared the streets of burning cars. The seizure cost the lives of 10 soldiers and 19 gunmen.
A nation-state only loses control to a chiefdom (gangs) when it isn’t functioning properly, or it lacks will. This battle shows that the Mexican government is now better organized than it had been. Lopez Obrador disbanded the corrupt federal police force and created a National Guard, under military command. The battle also shows that the government is willing to use force to assert its authority.
Many have complained that the arrest and extradition will not stop drug trafficking. Others have said that the Sinaloa Cartel is fading and is being replaced by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. These arguments miss the point. This victory establishes that while there may still be a long journey ahead, Mexico can, with organization and will, reestablishes itself as sovereign state.
Source:
Mary Beth Sheridan, Matthew Hay Brown, “El Chapo’s Son, Alleged Fentanyl Boss, Extradited to United States,” Washington Post, 17 September 2023, A17; see also https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/el-chapos-son-extradited-to-us-for-drug-trafficking
Katherine Linthicum, “Cartel Lays Seige to Mexican City After Recapture of the Son of El Chapo,” Los Angeles Times, 5 January 2023; accessed from https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-01-05/la-fg-mexico-el-chapo-son-captured
“Ovidio Guzman-Lopez: Twenty-nine Killed During Arrest of El Chapo’s Son,” BBC, 6 January 2023, accessed from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-64179356
Maria Verza, Christopher Sherman, “Mexico Nabs Son of the Drug Lord ‘El Chapo’ before Biden Visit,” Associated Press, 5 January 2023; accessed from https://apnews.com/article/ovidio-guzman-arrested-24bca5ce8544bc151e6c821a37b2be41
Photo: CEPROPIE, AP
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