US State Department Issues Warning to Americans Not to Travel to Mexican State

Police officers patrol in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, on April 05, 2018. Julio Cesar Aguilar/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Department of State on Thursday warned Americans not to travel to Sinaloa state, Mexico, following reports of widespread cartel violence after Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo,” was arrested.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price, in a press conference, advised Americans not to go to Sinaloa, home to the Sinaloan drug cartel. Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was arrested and extradited to the United States several years ago, and he’s now incarcerated in a maximum security federal prison in Colorado.

“There has been reports of gunfire, roadblocks, and fires throughout the cities of Culiacán, Los Mochis, Guasave in Sinaloa, Mexico,“ Price told reporters. The Embassy in Мехісо Сіtу posted аn аlеrt tо U.Ѕ. сіtіzеnѕ tоdау аdvіѕіng thаt thе Ѕіnаlоаn gоvеrnоr hаѕ саllеd fоr thе рublіс tо ѕhеltеr іn рlасе,” he added.

The State Department is continuing to advise U.Ѕ. сіtіzеnѕ іn Ѕіnаlоа “tо rеmаіn аlеrt fоr роtеntіаl vіоlеnсе thrоughоut thе ѕtаtе,” Price added, “аnd аgаіn wе rеіtеrаtе оur trаvеl warning” to Sinaloa, which continues to remain at “Level 4.”

“Wе аdvіѕе Аmеrісаnѕ nоt tо trаvеl tо Ѕіnаlоа аѕ а rеѕult,” Рrісе added, pointing to a State Department travel advisory. For Sinaloa state, officials warn that Americans could face crime or kidnapping as “violent crime is widespread,” and “criminal organizations are based in and operating in Sinaloa.”

On Thursday, Mexican authorities announced Ovido Guzman Lopez’s arrest, triggering a wave of violence mainly in the city of Culiacan in the northern Sinaloa. State governor Ruben Rocha was quoted by Reuters as saying that seven members of Mexico’s security forces had been killed, including a colonel, and 21 more were injured.

Rocha said there had been 12 clashes with the security forces, 25 acts of looting, and 250 vehicles had been set on fire and used to block roads. Eight civilians were also hurt in the violence, he said.

“Tomorrow we think we will be able to work normally,” he said, adding that he had not discussed calling for more reinforcements from the army or the National Guard.

Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval confirmed the capture of the 32-year-old Guzman on Thursday, saying he was being held in the capital, Mexico City. Videos shared on social media appeared to show heavy fighting overnight in Culiacan, with the sky lit up by helicopter gunfire.

Ovidio Guzman, son of kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, is briefly captured by Mexican military police in a residential compound near the centre of Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, on Oct. 17, 2019 in this still image taken from a helmet camera footage obtained on Oct. 30, 2019. Mexican Government TV/Handout via Reuters

Photos published online also appeared to show Guzman with his hands up as he was being arrested by Mexican officials. The State Department had described him as a “high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel and the son of former Sinaloa Cartel leader,” and was involved in his own “drug trafficking organization” along with his brother.

A Mexican air force plane was also shot at, the federal aviation agency said, adding that the airport in Culiacan, as well as in the Sinaloa cities of Mazatlan and Los Mochis, would remain closed until security could be ensured.

The younger Guzman was previously arrested by Mexican authorities in 2019, but he was released on the orders of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in a bid to avoid more fighting and bloodshed. The move angered his opponents and U.S. law enforcement officials, saying it set a dangerous precedent.

“You can’t value the life of a delinquent over the lives of the people,” Lopez Obrador said at the time.

The United States had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Ovidio’s arrest or conviction. It is not clear whether Guzman will be extradited to the United States like his father, who was convicted in New York in 2019 of trafficking billions of dollars of drugs into the country and conspiring to murder enemies.

Biden Visit

Guzman’s recapture came just days before President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Mexico City. Earlier this week, Biden told reporters that he plans to also visit the U.S.-Mexico border amid record levels of illegal immigration into the United States and as the Supreme Court last month moved to keep the Trump-era Title 42 immigration order intact until it hears arguments in the case.

A reporter asked the president if he’s going to the border next week, to which he replied, “That’s my intention, we’re working out the details now.” A day later, the White House announced new efforts to enhance border security amid bipartisan criticism of his immigration policies.

A parole program that was designed for Venezuelans would be expanded to Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua, according to the White House. People from those countries can now apply for legal status for two years if they can find a U.S. sponsor and pass a background check.

Reuters contributed to this report.