Military operation carried by the Mexican government
Operation Mongoose Azteca is the code name for a joint operation carried out by US and Mexican intelligence and military forces to detect the criminal activities of the Sinaloa Cartel and which led to the capture of the son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, Ovidio Guzmán López, aka "El Ratón". After this successful operation, several municipalities including the capital of the state of Sinaloa, Culiacán, were the target of road blockades, gun fights and several other riots, orchestrated by militant forces of the Sinaloa Cartel. After constant tracking and joint intelligence activities between the United States and Mexico, a Sinaloa Cartel convoy was located in the town of Jesus María, where Ovidio Guzmán was recaptured.
Background.
Ovidio Guzmán had been captured for the first time on October 17, 2019, and was held at his own home in Culiacán. Minutes after his arrest, multiple armed confrontations were reported at various points in Culiacán where even the Sinaloa Cartel threatened to directly attack civilians. By orders of the Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Ovidio Guzmán was released and armed forces withdrew from the area.
After this first failed capture attempt, there were reports of eight deaths (one civilian), sixteen injuries, nineteen street blockades, fourteen confrontations, eight soldiers captured and released, and 68 military vehicles with bullet wounds, as well as attacks against the Military Headquarters in Culiacán and the state C4 headquarters. 51 prisoners escaped from the Aguaruto prison in Culiacán. Two of them were located in the following hours after a riot during which five guards were disarmed.
After his release, Ovidio Guzmán was seen publicly in February 2020 when he attended the wedding of Alejandrina Gisselle Guzmán, the daughter of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera. Ovidio is the nephew of Blanca Margarita Cázares Salazar, also known as "La Emperatriz del Narco."
During the event, the Culiacán Cathedral was closed, and the incident gained significant attention on social media. Photos and videos capturing Ovidio Guzmán's presence circulated widely.
In December 2021, the US Department of State published wanted posters for the four sons of jailed drug trafficker Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, including Ovidio Guzmán, offering up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest.
According to leaked SEDENA files, at least since May 2021, the US has coordinated with SEDENA investigative and surveillance operations against members of the Sinaloa Cartel and the use of a platform called AMOSS (System Surveillance of Air and Maritime Operations).
Prelude.
By August 1, 2022, Operation Mongoose Azteca was officially launched. Emails revealed by the hacking of the Guacamaya group show that officials from the US embassy intercepted communications between people identified as "hawks" at the service of Ovidio Guzmán in municipalities in Sinaloa, such as Badiraguato, the hometown of Joaquín 'el Chapo' Guzmán, Culiacán, Navolato or Elota. Among the dozens of spied conversations, the US reports the ones it considers relevant and names them as "events."
There are at least two intelligence reports issued by the Air Operations area of the Customs and Border Protection Service of the US embassy in Mexico about wiretaps mentioning Ovidio Guzmán.
It is about the espionage of dozens of telecommunication radio locations in various points of Sinaloa on August 8 and 9, 2022, carried out by Air Operations of the embassy and whose findings were sent to commanders of the Sedena Air Force.
One of the first dialogues that they managed to intercept was a communication between 2 interlocutors, identified by intelligence as "UIM 1" and "UIM 2".
August 8.
According to information from SEDENA, the "group" referred to by UIM 1 is the one that provides protection to the Cartel in the area and supervises deliveries.
August 9.
According to analyst reports, events two and three are related; they are separated by three minutes. The OXXO store is located 950 meters east of the seminary mentioned in Event 2; this store is also located in an area known as "Tres Ríos", an area which is controlled by the faction of the Sinaloa Cartel known as "Los Chapitos".
The Operation.
Around 6:00 in the morning of January 5, 2023, elements of the Special Reaction Force, Special Forces of the Parachute Riflemen Brigade and personnel of the Special Forces Corps of the Mexican Army mobilized to the town of Jesús María, surprising the convoy of the Los Chapitos faction and where Ovidio Guzmán was transported.
Later, after exchanging shots, Ovidio was transferred to his estate in Jesús María and proceeded to take refuge.
After a long fight, the Mexican operators managed to break into Ovidio's estate, detaining the drug lord alive as well as 18 people who were with him.
Transfer.
After the operation, Ovidio was transferred in a Mexican Air Force aircraft to Mexico City. The aircraft was attacked by gunmen from the Sinaloa Cartel from the outside while crossing the Culiacán Airport runway. Ovidio was made available to the Deputy Attorney Specialized Investigation of Organized Crime, while Interpol Mexico completed an arrest warrant for extradition purposes.
The drug lord was admitted to the CE.FE.RE.SO. No. 1 (Almoloya de Juárez, State of Mexico).
References.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;