International

29 killed in arrest of Mexico drug kingpin’s son

Photo: Marcos Vizcarra / AFP

January 6th | By AFP |

Ten soldiers and 19 suspected criminals were killed in an operation to arrest a son of jailed drug trafficker Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, Mexico’s government said Friday, with a dramatic shootout sowing terror at an airport.

Thousands of soldiers retook control of the Sinaloa cartel stronghold of Culiacan, which resembled a war zone after furious gunmen went on the rampage to try to free their boss.

Ovidio Guzman was captured in the northwestern city on Thursday and flown to Mexico City before being transferred to the high-security Altiplano prison in central Mexico from which “El Chapo” escaped in 2015.

The 32-year-old, nicknamed “El Raton” (The Mouse), had allegedly helped to run his father’s operations since the former Sinaloa cartel boss was extradited to the United States in 2017.

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A colonel who commanded an infantry battalion was among those killed after his team came under attack following the arrest, Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval told reporters.

Another 35 soldiers sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to hospital, while 21 gunmen were arrested.

Sandoval said a civilian airliner that was about to take off from Culiacan International Airport, as well as two Mexican Air Force aircraft, were hit as cartel henchmen tried to free Ovidio Guzman.

The military planes “had to make an emergency landing” after receiving “a significant number of impacts,” said Sandoval.

No injuries resulted from the plane attacks and Culiacan airport resumed operations on Friday.

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Multimillion-dollar bounty

The United States had issued a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Ovidio Guzman’s capture. It accuses him of being a key player in the Sinaloa cartel founded by his father.

The arrest came as Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador prepared to welcome his US counterpart Joe Biden for a North America leaders’ summit next week where security is expected to be high on the agenda.

Mexico denied that the United States had been involved in the operation to catch Ovidio Guzman.

“We act autonomously, independently. Yes there is cooperation and there will continue to be, but we make the decisions as a sovereign government,” Lopez Obrador told reporters.

He said calm had returned to Culiacan, where security forces removed dozens of stolen and burnt out vehicles scattered throughout the city of 800,000 people.

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Videos on social media Thursday showed passengers and Aeromexico airline employees ducking behind counters as gunfire rang out at Culiacan airport.

Cartel gunmen set cars and trucks ablaze at several intersections in the city, and authorities reported 19 roadblocks.

Cocaine, meth and fentanyl

El Chapo is serving a life sentence in the United States for trafficking hundreds of tons of drugs into the country over the course of 25 years.

However, his cartel remains one of the most powerful in Mexico, accused by Washington of exploiting an opioid epidemic by flooding communities in the United States with fentanyl, a synthetic drug about 50 times more potent than heroin.

Ovidio Guzman and one of his brothers are accused of overseeing nearly a dozen methamphetamine labs in Sinaloa as well as conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana, according to the US State Department.

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Ovidio Guzman also allegedly ordered the murders of informants, a drug trafficker and a Mexican singer who refused to perform at his wedding, it said.

He was captured briefly once before in 2019, but security forces freed him after his cartel waged an all-out war in response.

His release prompted sharp criticism of Lopez Obrador, who said the decision was made to protect civilians’ lives.

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard has played down the prospects of a fast-track extradition, saying Ovidio Guzman was expected to face legal proceedings in Mexico.

Mexico has registered more than 340,000 murders since the government controversially deployed the army to fight drug cartels in 2006, most of them blamed on criminal gangs.

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International

Young Spanish Woman Receives Euthanasia After Legal Battle, Sparking Debate

A 25-year-old Spanish woman, Noelia Castillo, received euthanasia on Thursday following a prolonged legal dispute with her father.

She passed away at a care center in Sant Pere de Ribes, about 40 kilometers from Barcelona, where she had been living for some time, according to Spanish media reports.

In an interview broadcast a day earlier on Antena 3, Castillo expressed her exhaustion after enduring prolonged suffering. She indicated that her decision was influenced by a combination of personal circumstances and health-related challenges, including family conflicts and a condition of paraplegia following a previous incident that left her with lasting physical consequences.

Spain legalized euthanasia in 2021, becoming one of the few countries that allow patients under strict conditions to seek medical assistance to end their lives in order to avoid what the law defines as unbearable suffering.

The case has reignited debate in Spain over the ethical, legal, and family dimensions surrounding euthanasia, as well as the broader issue of support for individuals in vulnerable situations.

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International

Over 300 U.S. Troops Wounded Since Start of Iran Conflict, CENTCOM Says

More than 300 U.S. service members have been injured since the start of the conflict with Iran on February 28, the United States Central Command confirmed on Friday.

“Since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 303 U.S. service members have been wounded. The vast majority of these injuries are minor, and 273 troops have already returned to duty,” said U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to AFP, indicated that 10 American troops remain seriously injured.

According to the latest figures, an additional 13 U.S. service members have been killed since the conflict began, including seven in the Gulf region and six in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Iran’s armed forces warned on Friday that hotels hosting U.S. troops in the region could be considered legitimate military targets.

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“When U.S. forces enter a hotel, from our perspective that hotel becomes American,” said armed forces spokesperson Abolfazl Shekarchi in remarks broadcast on state television.

International

Iran rejects negotiations as tensions escalate with United States

Iran has no intention of entering negotiations and will continue to resist, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday night, dismissing recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump about possible talks.

Speaking to state television, Araghchi argued that Washington’s call for negotiations reflects a position of weakness. He added that the Islamic Republic seeks to end the war on its own terms, ensuring that such a conflict does not recur in the future.

Meanwhile, the White House issued a stark warning, stating that Trump would “unleash hell” on Iran if it refuses to accept a deal to end the conflict. Despite Tehran’s rejection, U.S. officials maintained that discussions remain ongoing.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt reinforced the administration’s position, warning that failure to acknowledge what she described as Iran’s military defeat would result in even stronger action from Washington.

The increasingly aggressive rhetoric from both sides has diminished hopes for a near-term de-escalation in the conflict, which began following U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28.

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As tensions continue to rise, the prospect of a diplomatic resolution remains uncertain amid conflicting narratives and escalating threats from both governments.