Ovidio Guzmán Arrested ~ Borderland Beat

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As of 8 minutes ago, the reputable news publication Reuters has published an article titled “Mexico Arrests capo Ovidio Guzman, son of El Chapo – sources”. 

In the article they cite four officials familiar with the matter who confirmed to them that Ovidio has been captured, today, January 5, 2023. 

The newspaper El Universal has published and confirmed that Ovidio was captured. They cite federal sources for the confirmation. Various outlets such as Quadratin are currently reporting on El Universal’s confirmation. 

Many have noted that this major arrest occurred shortly before a scheduled visit from US President Joe Biden to Mexico. 

The arrest allegedly occurred in Jesus Maria in Sinaloa. 

His First Arrest

Ovidio was famously arrested years ago in an event dubbed Culiacanazo, on October 17, 2019. This first arrest also took place in Culiacan. 

Hitmen and leadership figures from the Sinaloa Cartel attacked law enforcement and members of the military throughout the city and surrounding areas. They mobilized and retaliated swiftly, attempting to free Ovidio. 

Eventually, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador chose to suspend the capture operation and Ovidio was freed. He later stated that “The operation was suspended and it was suspended because we did not want to put the lives of many people at risk.”

Journalist Jorge Sánchez Torres is reporting that a shootout can be heard near Culiacán’s prison, named Aguarato, which contains a considerable number of Sinaloa Cartel members. 

Details About the Operation Which Arrested Him

At approximately 4:00 am, a military operation was launched which aimed to capture the son of El Chapo, one of the leadership figures within the Sinaloa Cartel, Ovidio Guzmán. 

The Army (SEDENA) was allegedly the main military group involved in the capture. The Marines (SEMAR) are the military group most often used for such high profile targets, so the choice to use SEDENA seems significant. The Air Force and the National Guard also participated in the arrest. 

Soldiers moved in to capture Ovidio from a property in the neighborhood of Jesús María, near Culiacán.

Neighbors allegedly began to hear gunfire at 4:40 am, according to Reforma newspaper. 

Helicopter gunships were allegedly used and Special Forces units from Airborne divisions participated in the capture. 

In total, 900 personnel from SEDENA, the Air Force, the National Guard, and Sinaloa State Police have been involved in the operations, although most were likely notified after the arrest was complete in order to prevent details of the operation leaking to Sinaloa Cartel members.

Culiacán Prison Riot

Journalist Jorge Sánchez Torres is reporting that a shootout can be heard near Culiacán’s prison, named Aguarato, which contains a considerable number of Sinaloa Cartel members.

Plumes of smoke are now emerging from the prison. Rumors of a massive riot inside are being shared on Twitter. 

Airport Closed

The Culiacán International Airport has announced that it will be closed all day. Videos uploaded to social media allegedly depict the gunshots which can allegedly be heard near the airport. 

With high profile arrests, it’s common that a detainee will be taken to an airport and flown out on a military plane to Mexico City, which lies safely beyond the grasp of the cartel hitmen trying to free him. 

It is likely Sinaloa Cartel hitmen may approach the airports in the area, such as the Culiacán International Airport, and attempt to intercept Ovidio before he is put on a plane for Mexico City. 

According to a flight tracker (flightradar24), two Boeing 737 airplanes have recently landed at the Culiacán International Airport. 

Journalist Alejandro Domínguez reports that the 737s belong to the Mexican Airforce. He said that the two planes “took off from Santa Lucía minutes before 8am will land. Reinforcement soldiers usually travel in them.” 

Videos on social media show passengers on an unrelated flight, Aeroméxico 165, cowering from nearby gunfire as hitmen tried to shoot their way into freeing Ovidio. Marines were allegedly present in vehicles on the runway, protecting and countering the hitmen’s attacks.

Below, a video possibly showing authorities bracing for cartel attacks when a plane landed at an airfield in Jalisco. 

In another video, a man with a gun runs towards a camera shortly after a flight takes off. 

Ovidio’s Flight Takes Off, Possibly Lands

Journalist Luis Alberto Díaz is reporting that the plane containing Ovidio has already left the airfield in Sinaloa, saying it left at 9:25 am. 

Surveillance Plane Over Jesus Maria 

A small Beechcraft King Air 350 twin prop plane took off from the airport outside of Culiacan shortly after the aforementioned 737s landed. 

For the last couple of hours, the surveillance plane has been flying circular patterns over the foothills north of Culiacan, concentrating heavily in the area of Jesus Maria, where Ovidio was allegedly captured. The plane is currently the most tracked flight in the world right now according to flightradar24. 

Beech 350s are used by multiple Air Force groups around the world, as well as the US Army, and US law enforcement. There is no country of origin listed on the flight radar for this plane.

Some have speculated that another high profile target may have been near Ovidio’s location – but managed to escape the area before they were captured. 

The live flight data now cannot be found on the flight tracker.

https://www.flightradar24.com/B350/2ec0d7cf

Federal Detention Registry for Ovidio Appears Online