Billionaire druglord El Chapo's son 'The Mouse' extradited to US to face charges
The son of the billionaire drug lord known as 'El Chapo' has been extradited to the US to face criminal charges.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez, known as 'The Mouse,' is a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin Guzman and faces a range of charges including drug trafficking and money laundering. He was captured by Mexican security forces in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, in January.
It comes after the accused was among 28 Sinaloa cartel members charged by the US in indictments released in April. Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar and Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Sálazar remain at large.
The brothers denied the allegations that accused them of trying to produce and sell fentanyl. US prosecutors allege a large proportion of fentanyl production takes place in and around the Culiacan area.
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Ovidio Guzman Lopez is the son of El Chapo (AFP/Getty Images)The former head of international operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Mike Vigil, said Guzman's extradition is a "symbolic victory but "it’s not going to have any impact whatsoever on the Sinaloa cartel."
“It will continue to function, it will continue to send drugs into the United States, especially being the largest producers of fentanyl.”
Guzman Lopez has been the target of authorities for some time. An operation here years prior had to be abandoned because of violence in the area.
More violence followed the January arrest as 30 people were killed. A total of 10 people killed were military personnel.
Violence remains in cartel-run Culiacan (STR/EPA-EFE/REX)The January arrest saw army-owned Black Hawk helicopter gunships up against the cartel’s truck-mounted .50-caliber machine guns. Two military aircraft were forced to land and both military and civilian aircraft were hit by gunfire at the city airport.
"This action is the most recent step in the Justice Department's effort to attack every aspect of the cartel's operations," US Attorney General Merrick Garland said. On Friday, Mr Garland said the law enforcement and military members who had given their lives in the US and Mexico should be recognised.
"The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fuelling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country," he said. The extradition was relatively quick by normal standards and Vigil said he believed the Mexican government aided the process. Such a case can take up to two years as lawyers attempt to find delays.
“This happened quicker than normal,” he said. The capture came just days before US President Joe Biden visited Mexico for bilateral talks followed by the North American Leaders’ Summit.
Vehicles with bullet holes sit on a street after clashes between armed groups and Federal Forces in Culiacan, 2019 (IVAN MEDINA/EPA-EFE/REX)Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall said in a statement that the extradition “is testament to the significance of the ongoing cooperation between the American and Mexican governments on countering narcotics and other vital challenges, and we thank our Mexican counterparts for their partnership in working to safeguard our peoples from violent criminals.”
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