Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard has ruled out an immediate extradition to the United States of Ovidio Guzmán, son of drug trafficker ‘El Chapo’, arrested on Thursday in Sinaloa.
Ebrard affirmed that there is an extradition request from the US government against the son of the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, but insisted that US authorities have not communicated with the Mexican counterpart.
«We could not proceed to extradite him today, tomorrow, the day after in these circumstances. We have to comply with the formalities,» he said, as reported by the newspaper ‘El Universal’.
«Later we will see if the United States reaches substance in the extradition,» said the head of the Mexican diplomacy, assuring that Washington «has to substantiate, argue and support the extradition» for the process to begin, according to an interview with the media ‘Informador’.
When asked if the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán will be an «exchange» prior to the meeting with US President Joe Biden next week, Ebrard denied it and detailed that «this operation was kept in extreme reserve» without «intermediation or political consultation in the cabinet».
Mexican authorities have assured that Guzman’s arrest has been a «resounding blow» to the top echelons of the Pacific cartel.
The Army has mobilized its troops in Sinaloa in the face of the unrest in the city. The Sinaloa governor’s office has reported the death of two police officers, while 18 people are injured.
Mexican authorities have transferred Guzmán by helicopter to the maximum security prison of Altiplano, in the state of Mexico, where he arrived on Thursday afternoon after landing aboard an official helicopter.
Guzmán is spending the first night in the prison where his father, ‘El Chapo’, was imprisoned, under strict security measures, as he has been surrounded by heavily armed security agents, according to Mexican media reports.
Thus, dozens of agents have remained outside the prison, forming a security fence, accompanied by armored vehicles.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
