US effort to curb fentanyl behind brief arrest of El Chapo's son, says minister
Source: Reuters
US effort to curb fentanyl behind brief arrest of El Chapos son, says minister
Reuters in Mexico City
Fri 1 Nov 2019 21.20 GMT
Last modified on Fri 1 Nov 2019 21.44 GMT
US efforts to curb the opioid fentanyl were behind the brief arrest of a son of imprisoned kingpin Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán last month, Mexicos security minister has said.
After the US requested his extradition, Ovidio Guzmán was briefly arrested, then freed by outnumbered officials who feared a bloody confrontation with cartel henchmen.
Mexicos security minister, Alfonso Durazo, said Guzmán was wanted on allegations of smuggling fentanyl, the potent opioid responsible for an overdose epidemic in the US.
Guzmáns role has grown since his father, Joaquin Guzmán, was extradited in 2017 to face drug charges. Joaquin Guzmán is now serving a life sentence in a US prison.
One of the very reasons for the US interest, and the basis for the extradition order, is in fact the suspected link between this alleged criminal and introducing fentanyl into the United States, Durazo told reporters.
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Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/01/el-chapo-son-arrest-ovidio-guzman-fentanyl-sinaloa-cartel