Attorney General Garland announces Mexico’s extradition of ‘El Chapo’ son to the United States.

MEXICO CITY — Mexico extradited Ovidio Guzmán López, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, to the United States on Friday to face drug trafficking charges, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

Garland stated that this action is the latest move by the Justice Department to target all aspects of the cartel’s activities.

Requests for comment were not immediately responded to by the Mexican government.

In January, security forces in Mexico apprehended Guzmán López, also known as “the Mouse,” in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, where the cartel shares its name.

The government attempted to apprehend him three years ago, but canceled the mission when his cartel associates instigated a surge of violence in Culiacan.

The arrest in January triggered a wave of violence resulting in the deaths of 30 individuals in Culiacan, including 10 members of the military.

The military employed Black Hawk helicopters to counter the cartel’s truck-mounted machine guns that were equipped with .50-caliber. The cartel’s gunmen successfully struck two military aircraft, causing them to make emergency landings. Additionally, they targeted the city’s airport, where both military and civilian planes were subjected to gunfire.

The capture came just days before U.S. President Joe Biden visited Mexico for bilateral talks followed by the North American Leaders’ Summit.

In April, the U.S. prosecutors revealed extensive charges against Guzmán and his siblings, commonly referred to as the “Chapitos.” The indictments provided a comprehensive account of how, after their father’s extradition and subsequent life imprisonment in the U.S., the brothers took control of the cartel and focused more on producing synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl.

The indictment unsealed in Manhattan said their goal was to produce huge quantities of fentanyl and sell it at the lowest price. Fentanyl is so cheap to make that the cartel reaps immense profits even wholesaling the drug at 50 cents per pill, prosecutors said.

The Chapitos gained notoriety for their extreme brutality, which seemed to exceed the limits of self-control displayed by previous cartel leaders.

Fentanyl is now a major focus in the security partnership between the two countries. However, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has rejected claims made by both the U.S. government and his own military regarding fentanyl production in Mexico. Instead, he characterizes Mexico as a transit location for precursors originating from China and heading to the U.S.

López Obrador attributes the high levels of drug addiction in the U.S. to a decline in family values.