Heavy armed militants surrounded security forces in Culiacan, Mexico on October 17, forcing the government to release the son of drug lord "El Chapo".

Mexico carried out the task of arresting Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of the notorious drug lord Joaquin Guzman, also known as "El Chapo" (Shorty Man), after a federal judge in Washington, DC, issued an arrest warrant. He was to review extradition, lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman, representative of "El Chapo", yesterday said.

"It is not known exactly what happened, but Ovidio is currently safe and is not in custody. We will quickly try to find out," Lichtman said. Ovidio was charged with drug trafficking in the District Court of Columbia in 2017, with an indictment published in February.

Mexican Security Minister Alfonso Durazo said yesterday a National Guard team found Ovidio and three other men at a home in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, while on patrol. They broke into the house after being attacked first, but were quickly overwhelmed by the gunmen and had to retreat.

"The patrol team decided to withdraw from the house without taking Ovidio to try to avoid increasing violence in the area, preserve the lives of officers and restore peace in the city," Durazo said.

However, the news that his son "El Chapo" was caught unexpectedly caused a backlash in Culiacan. Gang members launch a large-scale attack to rescue Ovidio, targeting security forces in many parts of the city. Large numbers of prisoners also escaped from Aguaruto prison.

People were nestled in malls and supermarkets when they heard gunshots. Black clouds covered the sky. "Nobody knows what's going on, but everyone is scared and says they won't go to work the next day," said a resident named Ricardo Gonzalez.

A video on social media shows footage of gunmen sitting on pickup trucks with machine guns and patrolling the area. Another video shows a gunman holding an assault rifle repeatedly firing unidentified targets. Meanwhile, the families jostle for refuge. "Why did they shoot guns?", A girl asked her father in the video.

According to local media, at least one main road out of the city, towards the port of Mazatlan, has been blocked by long lines of burning trucks, while other roads have been blocked by the army. Duzaro said there were 14 different attacks on the army and 19 barriers were erected.

Cristobal Castaneda, head of the Sinaloa state security agency, said according to initial information, two people were killed and 21 injured. However, photos of the scene showed many bodies on the streets, leading to speculation that the death toll could increase. Local officials said some officers were injured, but did not elaborate.

The government said Ovidio was kept in the house from about 3pm to 5:30 pm on October 17. Some people doubt whether the gang and security forces have negotiated to release him. The fact that Minister Durazo acknowledged the eight soldiers and one military officer "captured by the criminal group but later released" further reinforced the assumption that this was an exchange. A video also shows gang members shaking hands with soldiers on the streets of Culiacan.

However, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador asserted that "the government does not collude with criminals" and urged people to stop worrying. Officials also stressed that the 28-year-old "El Chapo" son was never actually arrested, because the procedures were not completed.

The chaos in Culiacan, the long-standing stronghold of the Sinaloa drug cartel led by "El Chapo" from 1989 to 2014, added pressure on President Obrador, who pledged to stabilize the country later. a decade engulfed in violence by drug cartels. The government has also been criticized for its slow connection with people, not giving any explanation or comment, but only urging them to stay indoors.

Falko Ernst, senior expert at the International Crisis Group in Mexico, said the release of Ovidio created a "dangerous precedent", showing that even the government could be intimidated in exchange for hostages and uncontrolled. control the situation. "At first, this was a catastrophic campaign, then the communication process also turned into a disaster. Finally, it was a political disaster," said Professor Carlos Bravo Regidor at the Center for Economic Research and Education. Mexico expressed his agreement.

However, President Obrador supported the decision to release Ovidio by saying that "arresting a criminal is not worth the lives of many people". "This decision is to protect the residents. We do not want to die, nor do we want war," he said on October 18.

Ovidio is one of the four children of El Chapo with his second wife. The man is believed to have been involved in drug trafficking since he was a teenager and played an important role in Sinaloa, one of Mexico's largest and most violent drug cartels since his father was arrested.

El Chapo is said to have 4 wives and 12 children. The drug lord was arrested in Mexico in 1993 and successfully escaped prison in 2001 and 2014. In 2016, Mexico arrested El Chapo and extradited to the US in January 2017.