El Chapo's son Ovidio Guzman's arrest video released by Mexico govt

The Government of Mexico released a video on October 30, which disclosed the moment Mexican forces took the son of kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman into custody before they were ordered to release Ovidio Guzman, who has been accused of trafficking. The release was done in order to avoid an escalation leading to the bloodbath in the city. 

Dramatic footage of destruction at the time of Guzman’s arrest

The footage shows a senior security official giving the entire timeline of the arrest of Ovidio Guzman which led to a situation of riots and destruction in the northern city of Culiacan, while  President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was onlooking. After the arrest, the situation went worse, therefore the security cabinet decided to release Guzman. There were threats to the public and the family members of the armed forces which led to the decision. The President, however, faced severe criticism. 

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The weak stand of the government

Several critics argued that it was a weak stand of the government, which in future can instigate organised crimes asking for ransom from the government. The Security Minister  Alfonso Durazo while addressing a press conference stated that "What could have become a scene of war and the shedding of innocent blood was resolved in favour of a return to peace and protecting the population”, thereby defending the decision. 

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Defence Minister releases footage of Guzman’s arrest

After the footage made its public appearance, the Defence Minister Luis Crescencio Sandoval played another video which depicted the October 17 incident when the military police arrested Ovidio Guzman from his residential compound located at Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa. In the video, one can clearly see the movement of Police into the building, the officials are seen shouting and making gestures. Initially, a woman is seen in the video, whose identity is kept hidden and later Guzman appears wearing a baseball cap. The police officials push him against the wall and ask for surrender. There is not much audio in the video, however, one can hear the police official saying, “Stay calm, stay calm”.

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Acts of violence by cartel gunmen

Just after the arrest the cartel gunmen surrounded the residential complex and started open-air firing and causing roadblocks. This led to acts of violence on the streets of Culiacan, this lead to fear and panic among the common people. In order to keep the situation under control, the Government asked the officials to exist Guzman’s resident without taking him into custody. 

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