Mexico

Watch Mexico's Failed Capture of El Chapo's Son Ovidio Guzmán

In a video released Wednesday, Guzmán's son willingly exits his home with his hands on his head while firearms point at him

The Mexican government on Wednesday released a trove of unedited videos showing its botched raid seeking to arrest a son of drug trafficker Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

The Mexican government’s failed attempt to capture one of Guzmán’s youngest sons, Ovidio Guzmán, on Oct. 17 left eight dead and at least 20 more injured after cartels members waged a gun battle against Mexican security forces in the town of Culiacán.

Thirty-five troops arrived at Ovidio Guzmán’s home to arrest him on a 2018 extradition request from the United States, where he and another of Guzmán's sons were indicted on charges of trafficking cocaine, methamphetamines and marijuana, the Associated Press reported.

In one of the videos, Guzmán willingly exits his home with his hands on his head as armed security officials point their weapons.

The officers then direct Guzmán to stand against a wall as he calls one of his brothers to stop the violence against the public.

“Listen, stop everything now. Tell them to withdraw,” Ovidio Guzmán says. “Stop everything now, I gave myself up ... Tell them already. I don’t want a rampage.”

At another point in the video, a woman is seen exiting the house as troops from Mexico’s Ministry of National Defense and National Guard tell her to calm down.

"There are children," the unidentified woman repeatedly tells security forces.

In a statement made by the Guzmán family lawyer, the Guzmán family apologized for the damage and deaths caused by its gunmen and promised to cover the expenses of the wounded and killed. 

"In this case, the family apologizes to the people of Sinaloa, and particularly to the people of Culiacán," lawyer José Luis González Meza said during a news conference in Mexico City. "They will take care [of the expenses] of the wounded and the dead." 

After hearing of the violence in Culiacán, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ordered troops to give up on the operation.

"The capture of one criminal cannot be worth more than the lives of people. They made the decision and I supported it," López Obrador said, adding "We do not want deaths. We do not want war."

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