Mexico
deployed special forces to patrol Culiacán , after the Sinaloa cartel launched a bloody operation to free Ovidio Guzmán , “El Chapo” Guzmán’s son , also pushed the U.S. government to halt arms trafficking at the Mexico-U.S. border.
Over 400 soldiers arrived in Culiacán over the weekend after gunmen took control of the city and forced security forces to free the drug lord ’s son from a botched arrest attempt on October 17 .
After the shootings and blockades in the northern city, U.S. authorities vowed to curb weapons trafficking to Mexico .
After a telephone call with U .S. President Donald Trump over the weekend, Mexican Cabinet ministers met with U .S. Ambassador Christopher Landau to ask for help in order to stem the flow of weapons bought legally in the United States and sold to Mexican cartels .
“We both agreed to move quickly to share information and deliver specific results,” the U.S. Embassy in Mexico said on Twitter, calling it Operation Frozen . “The commitment made by Mexico and the United States will strengthen capacities to address and reduce one of the causes of violence.”
In a statement, the Mexican government said the United States had promised to implement efforts to clamp down on the illegal trade , which is believed to be the source of most firearms in the hands of Mexican cartels .
“ Arms trafficking is a significant problem and one the United States is addressing with a renewed focus in Mexico,” a State Department official said in response to a question from Reuters.
Arms trafficking from the U.S. to Mexico
Videos of the attacks in Culiacán showed cartel gunmen firing armor-piercing .50 caliber rifles and at least one truck mounted with a heavy machine gun, weaponry that is not available by legal means in Mexico.
Mexico's Foreign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard , said that Security Minister Alfonso Durazo met with U.S. ambassador Christopher Landau and his team to discuss “ Frozen ,” an operation to curb arms trafficking .
Ambassador Landau
emphasized that many agencies are involved in the new operation and that there will be more cooperation to halt arms trafficking in the border.
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