Gunmen besiege Mexican city after arrest of El Chapo's son

Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Gunmen clashed with Mexican security forces in Culiacán after a Thursday morning raid captured accused drug smuggler Ovidio Guzmán López in the Jesus Maria neighborhood of the city.

Guzmán López is the son of Joaquin Guzmán Loera, known to much of the world as El Chapo. Guzmán López and Guzmán Loera are both prominent figures within the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel.

Thursday's raid involved hundreds of members of Mexico's security forces. A video posted to social media showed a helicopter opening fire during the operation.

After news of Thursday's arrest broke, armed groups in Culiacán and other cities set vehicles afire and blockaded roads. Exchanges of gunfire were reported in the area of Culiacán airport, and video posted to social media showed passengers aboard a flight scheduled to take off for Mexico City taking cover. In response, Culiacán airport has been shut down, according to a post on its official Twitter account.

Guzmán López took on more responsibilities within the Sinaloa cartel after the 2016 arrest of his father, who in 2017 was extradited to the United States. Mexican authorities accuse Guzmán López of being a major fentanyl trafficker. He was briefly arrested in 2019 but managed to flee when gunmen attacked his captors.

The United States indicted Guzmán López in 2019 for conspiring to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana for importation into the United States.

The violence comes as President Joe Biden prepares for his first official visit to Mexico, which is scheduled for Monday after the president visits El Paso on Sunday. Biden will be in Mexico City next week to take part in the North American Leaders' Summit.