Mexico releases video footage of Ovidio Guzmán's arrest in Culiacán

Today, Mexico’s government released dramatic video footage of the moment when security forces briefly captured Ovidio Guzmán , one of the sons of “El Chapo” Guzmán , on October 17 , before they were ordered to release the drug trafficker to avoid retaliation against civilians.

During President López Obrador 's daily news conference, top security officials gave a detailed account of the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán , which led to chaotic scenes in Culiacán as cartel gunmen fought to free him.

It was revealed that Sinaloa cartel gunmen threw grenades and opened fire against a housing unit inhabited by the families of military officers . Groups of armed men also surrounded military bases in Cosalá , Costa Rica , and El Fuerte , where they detained military personnel .

After receiving threats to the public and relatives of the armed forces , the security cabinet ordered the release of Guzmán .

Security Minister Alfonso Durazo

defended his actions and said that: “What could have become a scene of war and the shedding of innocent blood was resolved in favor of a return to peace and protecting the population,”

Defense Minister Luis Crescencio Sandoval

released footage of the October 17 operation, which shows heavily armed military police arresting Ovidio Guzmán in a residential compound near the center of the city of Culiacán .

Shouting and gesticulating, police are shown moving into the building. First, a young woman with her face obscured emerges, followed by the slim figure of Guzmán in a baseball cap.

Soon after police arrested Guzmán , cartel gunmen surrounded the building and staged shootings and blockades around Culiacán , causing widespread panic among the population. He was later released.

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