One of the sons of drug lord El Chapo, Ovidio Guzmán, was arrested by Mexican authorities on Thursday, the authorities announced, and the arrest sparked numerous armed attacks that led to the closure of some schools and administrations, News.ro cited. Reuters.

Ovidio Guzmán’s arrest comes after a night of violence in Culiacan, Sinaloa state.

The arrest sparked armed attacks in the cities of Los Mochis and Guasave on Thursday, the US Embassy in Mexico said in a Twitter post.

Gunshots were reported in several locations, in Culiacan, Los Mochis and Guasave. (…). The governor of Sinaloa advises citizens to seek shelter. We remind American citizens that (American authorities) recommend that they not travel to the province of Sinaloa,” the embassy writes.

Ovidio Guzmán, one of the sons of imprisoned drug trafficker Joaquin Archivaldo Guzmán Loera – El Chapo – is one of the leaders of the local drug trade.

After his arrest in 2019, authorities quickly released him to avoid a brutal crackdown by the Sinaloa cartel.

The arrest of Ovidio Guzmán takes place just a few days before the summit of US heads of state Joe Biden, Canadian Justin Trudeau and Mexican Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico City, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

The United States has offered a reward of five million dollars for any information leading to the arrest of Ovidio Guzman.

A rise in overdose deaths from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl in the United States has prompted Mexico to step up pressure on cartels that produce and supply the drug, according to Reuters.

In Culiacan, where armed attacks broke out on Thursday, the airport was closed.

A plane on the runway was the target of gunfire, according to images posted on social media.

Local authorities urge residents not to leave their homes. Schools and administrations were closed. Dams were erected on the streets (News.ro).