Members of the Mexico Govt Security Cabinet announced the actions carried out in Sinaloa, on occasion of the arrest of the Mexican drug lord Ovidio Guzmán on January 5th of this year, in the town of Jesús María, municipality of Culiacán.
It was indicated that the intelligence area of the Ministry of National Defense, permanently in coordination with those of the Security Cabinet, carries out strategic, operational and tactical intelligence activities on priority targets, which are generators of violence and represent a threat to the society and for the Mexican State.
Six months ago, the areas of influence were detected, where Chapo’s son, Ovidio, carried out his illegal activities related to the trafficking of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Derived from the above, the reconnaissance and presence of troops in the north and northeast of the city of Culiacán, identified as an area of operations, intensified; At the press conference, it was highlighted that during the current administration, 178,122 kilograms of methamphetamine, 6,096 kilograms of fentanyl, and 1,223 laboratories have been seized.
In the early morning of January 5, 2023, 45 kilometers north of the city of Culiacán, a National Guard patrol was deployed in the town of Jesús María, to carry out surveillance and order prevention tasks, detecting 6 suspicious vehicles armored look.
Under this scenario, the National Guard, which had the Mexican Army as immediate support, tried to persuade the subjects to get out of their vehicles and be searched, but they ignored the federal authorities, starting an armed attack to try to escape; the military personnel implemented the Contingency Plan.
Faced with real and current threat that endangered their lives, derived from the attack received, the Mexican Army and National Guard personnel repelled the attack and the attackers withdrew into civilian houses, where they continued the attack.
As a result of the foregoing, the Mexican Army and National Guard personnel detained 18 armed persons, one of whom said he was Ovidio Guzmán López.
Due the events, criminal cells grouped together with the intention of rescuing Ovidio, attacking the military personnel who were at the scene, an event in which unfortunately 7 soldiers lost their lives in the line of duty and 9 more are injured.
As a result of an .50” machine guns, by the aggressors, it was necessary to use fire from an F.A.M. aircraft, in order to guarantee the safety of citizens and dissuade suspected criminals.
Simultaneously, cells of the criminal group carried out blockades in different parts of the city of Culiacán; among them, the accesses to it, to avoid its evacuation; It is worth mentioning that these criminal organizations shot with firearms at the aircraft of the Mexican Air Force, commercial lines and facilities of the Federal International Airport of Culiacán, without achieving their goal.
The high degree of training, expertise and experience of the pilots and their crews allowed two aircraft of the Mexican Air Force that participated in the activities to make emergency landings, without presenting any damages.
The evacuation of A/k/A el Ratón, Ovidio Guzmán López was carried out using a Mexican Air Force helicopter; Ovidio was transferred from the scene of the events to the facilities of the Specialized Prosecutor for Organized Crime (FEMDO), in Mexico City, remaining at the disposal of the Federal Public Ministry.
During the course of the afternoon of Jan. 5, 2023, when military personnel moved to support the operation, they were the object of an attack with firearms by members of organized crime, where unfortunately a colonel and 3 members of its troops lost their lives, leaving 3 wounded elements.
The blockades and armed attacks in different parts of the city, caused by criminal groups, continued, therefore, in order to help restore order and strengthen the rule of law, 3,586 members of the Mexican Army and National Guard, among which are elements of Special Forces and Paratroopers, who have a high degree of training in different geographical environments.
On occasion of Guzmán’s arrival at the federal prison Federal Center for Social Readaptation (CEFERESO) Number 1 “El Altiplano”, popularly known as Almoloya, in parallel, personnel from the National Guard and the Mexican Army provided support through two security ring.
As a result of facts, the federal authorities counted: 19 deaths by the Sicarios, the arrest of 21 people, the seizure of 4 Barret Cal. .50” rifles, 6 Cal. .50” machine guns, 26 long weapons, 2 short arms, chargers, cartridges and diverse tactical equipment, 13 vehicles; In addition, 40 vans were disabled, of which 26 are armored.
In the performance of their duty, emphasizing their military values and their determination as soldiers of the homeland in order to guarantee the safety of the citizens and the Sinaloan people, unfortunately 10 soldiers lost their lives and 35 are injured.
So far there is no information on any innocent civilian who has lost their lives as a result of these operations.
As of January 6 of this year, 1,000 elements of the National Guard and the Mexican Army, members of the Mexico Joint Task Force, supported by personnel from the Mexican Air Force, will reinforce security operations to guarantee well-being and peace in the state of Sinaloa.
