Operation Mongoose Azteca

Operation Mongoose Azteca
Part of the Mexican Drug War and the American war on drugs
DateAugust 1, 2022 – January 5, 2023
Location
Jesús María, Culiacán Municipality, Sinaloa, Mexico
Result Mexican government victory, operation successful, recapture of Ovidio Guzmán López
Belligerents
Mexico Mexico
United States United States		 Sinaloa Cartel
Commanders and leaders
Mexico Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Mexico Luis Cresencio Sandoval
Mexico Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez
Mexico Audomaro Martínez Zapata
Mexico Alfredo Salgado Vargas		 Ovidio Guzmán López Surrendered
Units involved

United States United States

Mexico Mexico

Sinaloa Cartel factions

  • Los Chapitos (also known as "Los Menores" or "La Chapiza")
    • Los Ninis

Operation Mongoose Azteca (August 1, 2022 – January 5, 2023) is the code name for a joint initiative that was carried out by American and Mexican intelligence and military forces, aimed at uncovering the criminal activities of the Sinaloa Cartel; this operation led to the capture of Ovidio Guzmán López (aka "El Ratón"), son of the Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.[1][2] After this operation, several municipalities (including Culiacán, the capital of the state of Sinaloa) were the targets of road blockades, gun fights, and riots; these incidents were orchestrated by militant forces from the Sinaloa Cartel.[3][4] After sustained surveillance 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.[5]

Background

[edit]

Ovidio Guzmán was captured for the first time on October 17, 2019, and held at his home in Culiacán. Minutes after his arrest, multiple armed confrontations were reported at various locations in Culiacán, where the Sinaloa Cartel even threatened to attack civilians directly. By orders of the Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Ovidio Guzmán was released, and armed forces withdrew from the area.[6][7][8]

After this first attempt to capture Ovidio Guzmán, multiple incidents were reported: eight deaths (including one civilian), sixteen injuries, nineteen street blockades, fourteen confrontations, eight soldiers captured and released, and 68 military vehicles with bullet damage.[9] In addition, attacks took place against the headquarters of two organizations: the military in Culiacán, and the Centre for Command, Control, Communication, and Computing (C4) in Sinaloa.[10][11] Around this time, 51 prisoners escaped from the Aguaruto prison in Culiacán. Two of these prisoners were located during the following hours, after a riot in which five guards were disarmed.[12]

After his release, Ovidio Guzmán was seen in public during February 2020, when he attended the wedding of Alejandrina Gisselle Guzmán, the daughter of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. Ovidio is the nephew of Blanca Margarita Cázares Salazar, also known as "La Emperatriz del Narco" ("The Empress of the Drug Trade" in English).

During the wedding, Culiacán Cathedral was closed, and the incident gained significant attention on social media. Photos and videos of Ovidio Guzmán's presence were widely circulated.[13][14]

In December 2021, the United States Department of State published wanted posters for the four sons of jailed drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, including Ovidio Guzmán; these posters offered up to $5 million as a reward for information leading to his arrest.[15][16]

According to leaked files from Mexico's Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), since at least May 2021, the US has coordinated with SEDENA in two ways: investigative and surveillance operations against members of the Sinaloa Cartel, and use of a platform called System Surveillance of Air and Maritime Operations (AMOSS).[17][18]

Prelude to operation

[edit]

By August 1, 2022, Operation Mongoose Azteca had been officially launched. Emails revealed through hacking by the Guacamaya group show that officials from the US embassy intercepted communications between people identified as "hawks" in the service of Ovidio Guzmán in municipalities in Sinaloa; these municipalities included Badiraguato (the hometown of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán), Culiacán, Navolato, and Elota.[19] Among dozens of surveilled conversations, the US reported on the ones that it considered relevant and named them "events".

There were at least two intelligence reports on wiretaps mentioning Ovidio Guzmán; these reports were issued by the Air Operations area of the Customs and Border Protection Service of the US embassy in Mexico. The reports covered espionage from dozens of radio locations in Sinaloa on August 8 and 9, 2022. The findings were sent to commanders of the SEDENA Air Force.

A rough summary of these communications is given below, sometimes in an informal style. One of the first dialogues that the operation intercepted was a communication between two parties, who were identified by intelligence as "UIM 1" and "UIM 2".

August 8

[edit]
  1. The first communication, known as "Event 1": UIM 1 is heard scolding UIM 2 because his "cocinero" (or "cook" in English) was making comments about the operations that he performs; he said, "how dare a simple cook talk about me". UIM 1 told UIM 2 that he must be aware of everything that happens in his area. UIM 2 spoke in the morning with the men from Alacran, and they have already started (nothing concrete). UIM 1 replied, "you don't need to talk to anyone, just pass the report, can you imagine if he calls me my boss, and I don't have an update? Have you passed on the message I sent you?" UIM 2 informed UIM 1 that the military had arrived in La Colonia de Culiacán, checking the towns of La Ranchería, Coral Viejo, Los Cedritos and La Higuera. UIM 1 planned to get a motorcycle to make two to three trips each day to the office.
  2. The second communication, known as "Event 2": an unidentified group of scouts identified "una blanca" (a small plane) in the neighbourhood. UIM 1 wanted his group to monitor how the "bird" enters and leaves the area, saying, "please keep your radios". (According to information from SEDENA, the "group" referred to by UIM 1 is the one that provides protection to the Sinaloa Cartel in the area and also supervises deliveries.)
  3. The third communication, known as "Event 3": UIM1 said, "Que Quiobole" ("Can anyone hear me?" in English). UIM 2 asked UIM 1 if they could speak to "El Viejo" (a nickname used by the person in charge of an area, referring to Ovidio Guzmán), and it was not urgent. UIM 2 would ask your boss if the meeting could be arranged.
  4. The fourth communication, known as "Event 4": UIM1 asked UIM 2; "where he is? Did you bring the equipment? I had someone waiting for you." UIM 2 replied, "I am at the Rosas town, let me find your guys, I have the"aparatos" ." (Aparatos probably refers to weapons.) UIM1 replied to UIM2 to give them everything, including the rifles and the M5. (An M5 is an American assault rifle.) UIM 2 said to expect a call from him once he delivers the equipment.
  5. The fifth communication, known as "Event 5": UIM 1 sent a message on the network indicating that 8100 radio was not working in the area, pay attention to 4 (possibly a network). Keep him informed of the Marina convoy in the area. CS GIO responded, good copy. UIM 1 said, they are here, "Viejillo" and "Cholon Vago" Special Forces. UIM 2 will continue to guard the area, let him know if someone is coming, they are cooking "carne asada". UIM 2 mentioned that the "Kaibiles" arrived, and they are enjoying the "carne asada." (Elements of the Guatemalan Special Forces are colloquially known as Kaibiles.[20] This group provides training to illicit organizations in Mexico, and even Ovidio's elite escort of hitmen had recently gone through Kaibiles before his arrest.)

August 9

[edit]
  1. The first communication the next day, known again as "Event 1": UIM 1 told UIM 2 that he and the boss "El Raton" (Ovidio Guzman's nickname) would always have his [UIM 1's] loyalty, and he did not need to say it. He [UIM 1] was at his [UIM 2's] service.
  2. The second communication, known again as "Event 2": A person identified as "CS Mochomo" asked his men, what is going on with that vehicle? UIM 1 responded, was he talking about the black Ford Raptor located in the 22 (an unknown area) next to the OXXO store? They were tracking the truck; the Raptor was loaded with rifles. CS Mochomo asked, where are you guys coming from, and what is the next move?
  3. The third communication, known again as "Event 3": UIM1 informed the group that it saw the Ford Raptor pass near the seminary.

According to analyst reports, Events 2 and 3 are related; they are separated in time by only three minutes. The OXXO store (mentioned in Event 2) is located 950 meters east of the seminary (mentioned in Event 3). This store is also located in an area known as "Tres Ríos" ("Three Rivers" in English), which is controlled by the faction of the Sinaloa Cartel known as "Los Chapitos" ("Little Chapos" in English).[21][22]

Core operation

[edit]

Around 6:00 a.m. on January 5, 2023, elements of three forces mobilized to the town of Jesús María: Special Reaction Force, Special Forces of the Parachute Riflemen Brigade, and personnel of the Special Forces Corps of the Mexican Army. Ovidio Guzmán had been transported to this town, and the mobilization surprised the convoy of the Los Chapitos faction.[23][24]

Later, after shots had been exchanged, Ovidio Guzmán was transferred to his estate in Jesús María, where he took refuge.[25]

After a long fight, the Mexican operators managed to break into Ovidio Guzmán's estate, detaining the drug lord along with eighteen other people.[26][27]

Transfer of Ovidio Guzmán

[edit]

After the operation, Ovidio Guzmán was transferred to Mexico City in an aircraft of the Mexican Air Force. While crossing the runway at the Culiacán International Airport, the aircraft was attacked (from the outside) by gunmen from the Sinaloa Cartel.[28][29] Ovidio Guzmán was later made available to Mexico's Assistant Attorney General's Office for Special Investigations on Organized Crime, while Interpol Mexico completed an arrest warrant for extradition purposes.

Ovidio Guzmán was later admitted to the Federal Social Readaptation Centre No. 1, a maximum-security federal prison (in the town of Almoloya de Juárez in the state of Mexico).[30]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Camacho, Zósimo (2023-01-13). "Mongoose Azteca, la operación militar que ubicó a Ovidio desde agosto". Contralínea (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  2. ^ ""Mongoose Azteca", el operativo que siguió los pasos de Ovidio Guzmán por meses". Lado.mx. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  3. ^ "Confirman detención de Ovidio Guzmán en Culiacán, tras enfrentamientos y narcobloqueos". Publimetro México (in Spanish). 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  4. ^ "Terror en Sinaloa por balaceras y narcobloqueos". www.reforma.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  5. ^ "¿Quién está detrás de la captura de Ovidio Guzmán López, integrante de Los Chapitos? – Semanario El Pionero". semanarioelpionero.com.mx. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  6. ^ "AMLO admite que él ordenó la liberación de Ovidio Guzmán". ADNPolítico (in Spanish). 2020-06-19. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  7. ^ "Contrario a lo que afirmó Durazo, el 'Culiacanazo' demostró que sí hay un grupo criminal con capacidad para desafiar exitosamente a las fuerzas federales de seguridad". infobae (in European Spanish). 18 July 2020. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  8. ^ ""Culiacanazo": Sedena admite mejor capacidad de fuego del Cártel de Sinaloa". La Silla Rota (in Spanish). 2022-11-03. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  9. ^ "Así se vivió el Culiacanazo en 2019: el día más negro en la historia de Sinaloa". infobae (in European Spanish). 5 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  10. ^ "Enfrentamientos en Culiacán dejaron ocho muertos, entre ellos un civil: Sedena – Proceso". 2019-10-19. Archived from the original on 2019-10-19. Retrieved 2023-07-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. ^ "Así fue el minuto a minuto del operativo en Culiacán". ADNPolítico (in Spanish). 2019-10-30. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  12. ^ "Riots break out in the Culiacán prison after Ovidio Guzmán's arrest". MundoNOW (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  13. ^ "Ecos de la boda de la hija del Chapo: la Catedral de Sinaloa negó vínculos con el narco". infobae (in European Spanish). 18 February 2020. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  14. ^ Vázquez, Christian (2020-02-01). "Dan a conocer lujosa boda de Gisselle Guzmán, hija del Chapo, en Catedral de Culiacán". Sopitas.com (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  15. ^ Staff, M. N. D. (2021-12-17). "US State Department releases wanted posters for Guzmán brothers". Mexico News Daily. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  16. ^ "EU publica póster de "Se busca" de los hijos de "El Chapo"". El Universal (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  17. ^ "Operation Mongoose Azteca". Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  18. ^ "Air and Marine Operations Surveillance System | Homeland Security". www.dhs.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  19. ^ Álvarez, Karen (2023-01-10). "Anabel Hernández: EU y México trabajaron en conjunto para detener a Ovidio Guzmán". La Octava (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  20. ^ Camacho, Zósimo (2013-05-20). "#Kaibiles, tropas de elite contra la sociedad mexicana". Contralínea (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  21. ^ "¿Quién está detrás de la captura de Ovidio Guzmán López? – DW – 09/01/2023". dw.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  22. ^ "Operación 'Mongoose Azteca', Detención de Oviedo Guzman (a) El Raton" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  23. ^ Serrano, Gladys (2023-01-08). "Un pueblo atrapado en el fuego cruzado del segundo 'culiacanazo'". El País México (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  24. ^ Ferri, Pablo (2023-01-06). "Shootouts, burned-out cars and closed airports: Los Chapitos terrorize Culiacán after Ovidio Guzmán arrest". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  25. ^ Hernández, Ángel (2023-06-01). "Fuerzas especiales vencieron a la escolta personal de Ovidio Guzmán". Grupo Milenio (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  26. ^ "Ovidio Guzman After Action Report" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  27. ^ "Circula supuesta amenaza de 72 horas del Cártel de Sinaloa para la liberación de Ovidio Guzmán". sdpnoticias. 2023-01-06. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  28. ^ García, Roger (2023-01-05). "#Video Disparan contra avión de la Fuerza Aérea Mexicana en Culiacán". López-Dóriga Digital (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  29. ^ Pérez, Miguel Ángel (2023-05-01). "Avión de Fuerza Aérea Mexicana sufre ataque en aeropuerto de Culiacán". Grupo Milenio (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  30. ^ "Ingresan a Ovidio Guzmán al Cefereso #1 del Altiplano en el Edomex". Mediotiempo (in Spanish). 2023-05-01. Retrieved 2023-07-14.

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