Video shows moment Mexican security forces put El Chapo's son on his knees and force him to call his brother
The Mexican government has released a video of the moment drug lord Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán's son was apprehended outside his home in Culiacán, and was placed on his knees. Authorities reportedly detained him and asked him to call his brother to stop a counterattack by armed cartel members on soldiers across the city.
The clip of drug lord Ovidio Guzmán López's failed arrest was released by Mexico's Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval on Wednesday. The footage shows Guzman surrounded by soldiers as one of them tells him to call his brother Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, the leader of 'Los Chapitos' wing of the Sinaloa Cartel. The officers then ask Ovidio to tell his brother to stop the gun battle he launched in response to his brother's house being surrounded.
"Tell them to stop everything," a soldier directs Ovidio who in turn tells his brother on the phone: "Stop this, stop this. I already turned myself in."
Archivaldo, however, responds with a "no" and shouts threats against the soldiers and their families. Reports state that the attacks continued despite the authorities' attempt to curb it and eight minutes later the first wounded soldiers were reported.
Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had revealed last week, saying the commander of the military unit responsible of leading the raid was offered $3 million pesos, or $157,000, to let Guzmán López walk free. However, when he declined their proposition, the cartel threatened to kill him and his family.
Ovidio, towards the end of the video, can be heard begging his brother to stop the attack: "Please tell them to stop. Relax. Tell them to retreat. But just tell them. I don't want there to be any more chaos, please." Authorities, however, withdrew from Olvidio's residence, releasing him in exchange for a ceasefire. Reports state that 13 people were killed in the attack.
The attack was launched after Ovidio's entourage hiding in his house opened fire on a group of soldiers who were patrolling the area intending to make an arrest. The soldiers returned fire, storming the drug lord's house and taking four people into custody. The word of the arrest spread swiftly as other cartel members arrived at the house to save Ovidio from detention. The members eventually overpowered the 35 soldiers and the authorities had to abort the operation.