U.S. requests extradition of El Chapo's son, Mexico says

The United States is planning to request the extradition Ovidio Guzman, son of the drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, according to two Mexican government sources. 

Ovidio Guzman, 32, was arrested on drug trafficking charges in January after a standoff with Mexican security forces near the city of Culiacan, in Sinaloa—the longtime base for El Chapo’s drug empire.

The arrest led to a wave of violence that left dozens dead, including several military personnel. 

Ovidio had previously been arrested in 2019 for helping run the infamous Sinaloa cartel after his father’s arrest in 2017.

He was quickly released however, after several gunmen stormed the town of Culiacan and waged war in response. 

The U.S. offered a $5 million reward for any information leading to Ovidio's arrest in 2021.

Ovidio is reportedly being charged by the U.S. Attorney with conspiracy to traffic cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana.

He also allegedly ordered the murder of several informants and a Mexican singer. 

After his arrest in January, Ovidio Guzman was able to block his immediate extradition to the U.S. by securing a court order. However, the judge gave the U.S. until March 5 to present an extradition request. 

The U.S. embassy in Mexico requested the extradition to the country’s foreign ministry and attorney general's office, a spokesperson told AFP. 

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, 64, was extradited to the United States in 2017 and sentenced to life in prison in 2019 for drug conspiracy over two decades.

He is currently being held in isolation at a super-maximum security prison in Colorado.