It has been a turbulent few days for residents of Culiacán as government officials and law enforcement agencies continue to look for Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, one of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán's sons and the alleged leader of "Los Chapitos," a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Secret operations in the state last week led to the arrest of four high-profile members of the criminal organization, including the security chief of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán and his financial operator.
Among those arrested by members of the Mexican Army and the National Guard were José Ángel Canobbio Inzunza, alias "El Güerito," Kevin Alonso Gil Acosta, a.k.a. "El 200," José Alonso Acosta López "El Gusi," and Gustavo Acosta López. Authorities detailed that "El 200" served as the security chief for Los Chapitos before his arrest, while El Güerito served as the financial mastermind behind the organization's fentanyl distribution.
But according to local reports, operations were also meant to arrest Archivaldo Guzmán, who allegedly managed to escape via a tunnel, just like his father did during his second escape from a maximum security prison in 2015.
Iván Archivaldo Guzmán's escape
According to the journalist José Luis Montenegro, who claims to have sources inside the Los Chapitos camp, Archivaldo Guzmán was at a home in the Tierra Blanca neighborhood when the operations took place. He detailed that the property counts with an underground tunnel, which Iván Archivaldo allegedly used to get away.
"According to my sources, he escaped just like his father did in order to avoid being captured," Montenegro said in an interview. He added that Archivaldo Guzmán was with Eric Bastidas, alias "El 09," at the moment of his escape, a close confidant and ally of his.
Although he managed to escape, reports suggest the leader of Los Chapitos suffered an injury. It was not confirmed if it was a gunshot wound as authorities did not report any violent clashes during the operations.
Mexican authorities have not released any official information about the incident, but according to a report by the outlet Adiscusión, the clandestine tunnel was found by members of Mexico's Attorney General's Office between Feb. 21 and Feb. 23.
The tunnel reportedly has a length of more than 2,600 feet and connects the two properties through an exit built in the bathroom. While investigating the scene, authorities found shovels and buckets that were allegedly used for its construction as well as some ventilation devices, which facilitated air circulation throughout the slim tunnel.
Who is Iván Archivaldo Guzmán?
One of El Chapo's sons, Archivaldo Guzmán was born on August 15, 1983 in Culiacán, Sinaloa. Due to his prominent role in the cartel, the U.S. Department of State is offering a reward up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest.
According to U.S. authorities, Archivaldo alongside his brother Jesús Alfredo and his half-brothers Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán López formed the criminal group known as Los Chapitos, who is largely responsible for the massive influx of fentanyl into the U.S. over the past several years.
All four brothers have been indicted across several judicial districts over the years for major violations of U.S. drug laws.
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