Deadly Riots In Mexico After El Chapo's Son Got Arrested

Deadly riots are underway in the Mexican state of Sinaloa after the son of Mexican drug kingpin "El Chapo" was arrested.

Ovidio Guzmán-López, the son of Mexican drug kingpin "El Chapo," himself alleged to be a leader of his father's former cartel, was captured in Culiacán and transferred to Mexico City. Following his arrest, furious gang members set up roadblocks, set fire to vehicles, and attacked a local airport, BBC reported.

Three security force members have died in clashes in the state of Sinaloa and two planes were hit by gunfire. One plane scheduled to fly from Culiacán to Mexico City was hit by gunfire while the plane was preparing to take off. No customers or employees had been harmed in the incident.

A video of the incident posted on social media appears to show passengers crouching and cowering in their seats.

"As we were accelerating for take-off, we heard gunshots very close to the plane, and that's when we all threw ourselves to the floor," one of the plane passengers, David Tellez, said.

Videos of the riots shared on social media showed burning buses blocking roads in Culiacán.

More than 100 flights were canceled at three Sinaloa airports and at least 18 people had been admitted to the hospital. There were blockades in different parts of the city and gunfire exchanges between security forces and gang members continued into Thursday afternoon, USA Today reported.

Guzmán-López, also nicknamed "the Mouse," is accused of leading a faction of his father's notorious Sinaloa cartel, one of the largest drug-trafficking organizations in the world. His father, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, is serving a life sentence in the US after being found guilty in 2019 of drug trafficking and money laundering.

Guzmán-López was previously arrested in 2019. However, Mexican authorities released him to avoid the threat of violence from his supporters.

According to the US state department, Guzmán-López and his brother Joaquín are currently overseeing approximately eleven methamphetamine labs in the state of Sinaloa, producing an estimated 1,300- 2,200kg (3,000-5,000lb) of the drug per month.

The US state department added that they have information that proves that Guzmán-López also allegedly ordered the murders of informants, a drug trafficker, and a popular Mexican singer who refused to sing at his wedding.

In Dec. 2022, the US had announced a reward of up to $5m (£4.2m) for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Guzmán-López and three of his brothers.