Canadian tourists were trapped inside a Mexican hotel Thursday as buses that were supposed to take them to an airport and safely home burned outside.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just chaos,B次元官网网址� said Tina Dahl of Edmonton, whose six family members stranded in the popular tourist city of Mazatlan were supposed to fly out Thursday night.
The federal government advised Canadians in Mexico to limit their movements and shelter in place due to violence in the western part of the country.
The violence began after a pre-dawn security operation Thursday, in which security forces captured alleged drug trafficker Ovidio B次元官网网址淭he MouseB次元官网网址� Guzman, who is a son of former cartel boss Joaquin B次元官网网址淓l ChapoB次元官网网址� Guzman.
Ottawa said the violence is particularly fierce in Culiacan, Mazatlan, Los Mochis and Guasave.
DahlB次元官网网址檚 brother, sister-in-law, their three children and her sister-in-lawB次元官网网址檚 mother are all trapped in their hotel room, she said.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e supposed to come back today, but theyB次元官网网址檙e stuck in their hotel because the three buses that were supposed to go to the airport got lit on fire by the (drug) cartel,B次元官网网址� Dahl said.
B次元官网网址淭here was a shootout at the airport so the airports are shut down and the cartel put their warriors outside the hotel. I just know my brother and his family are stuck in the hotel right now.B次元官网网址�
Dahl has no phone line through to the hotel, she said. But she has been able to communicate with her family through Facebook.
B次元官网网址淪ounds like theyB次元官网网址檙e all OK,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址�(They are) obviously shaken. Just from reading between the lines of the texts and such, theyB次元官网网址檙e pretty shaken.B次元官网网址�
The children are ages 10, 8 and 7.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 sure my brother is probably got (the kids) at the pool, trying to keep them not (focused) on it,B次元官网网址� Dahl said.
Dahl quoted from a note written by her sister-in-law: B次元官网网址淲hen it first happened, they said weB次元官网网址檇 try and get you on a flight at 2 oB次元官网网址檆lock tomorrow.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think theyB次元官网网址檒l be flying home tomorrow. The gates are locked, the airports are closed and theyB次元官网网址檙e burning Mazatlan city.
B次元官网网址淭he lobby is full of people that were supposed to fly out and if theyB次元官网网址檙e not out by 5 p.m., theyB次元官网网址檙e kicking them out. These people canB次元官网网址檛 go out in the streets if thereB次元官网网址檚 buses burning out front and the cartelB次元官网网址檚 there.B次元官网网址�
Canadian officials said on Twitter that cars had been lit on fire, guns were being fired and there was a threat to essential infrastructure, including airports. The Culiacan and Mazatlan airports were closed and all flights had been suspended at the Los Mochis airport until further notice.
Airline Aeromexico said in a statement that one of its jets was struck by a bullet Thursday morning as it prepared for takeoff. Passenger video posted online showed people cowering on the floor of the plane. The company said passengers and crew were safe.
Later, MexicoB次元官网网址檚 Civil Aviation Agency said in a statement that an air force plane in Culiacan had also been hit with gunfire.
Alleged cartel members were carjacking Culiacan residents and setting vehicles ablaze in the cartel stronghold.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 inside a hotel B次元官网网址� three hours ago they took my car,B次元官网网址� local reporter Marcos Vizcarra said via Twitter. He said armed men had entered the hotel where he had sought shelter B次元官网网址渁nd are threatening guests to give them their car keys.B次元官网网址�
Later, Vizcarra reported that they had taken his phone, but he had made it home safely.
Intermittent gunfire continued into the afternoon in Culiacan as Mexican security forces continued to clash with cartel gunmen.
Mexican officials said cartel members set up 19 roadblocks including at CuliacanB次元官网网址檚 airport and outside the local army base, as well as all points of access to the city of Culiacan.
Local and state authorities warned everyone to stay inside. Global Affairs Canada advised Canadian tourists to avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, and not to try to cross road blockades.
The fighting came days before President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was to host Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden at a summit in Mexico City.
ItB次元官网网址檚 not the first time Ovidio GuzmanB次元官网网址檚 arrest has led to violence.
An aborted operation to capture him three years ago set off violence in Culiacan that ultimately led Obrador to order the military to let Guzman go.
B次元官网网址淭his is a significant blow to the Sinaloa cartel and major victory for the rule of law,B次元官网网址� Mike Vigil, the DEAB次元官网网址檚 former chief of international operations. B次元官网网址淚t will not, however, impede the flow of drugs into the U.S. Hopefully, Mexico will extradite him to the U.S.B次元官网网址�
Vigil said Guzman was involved in all of the cartelB次元官网网址檚 activities, especially the production of fentanyl.
Mexican Defence Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said GuzmanB次元官网网址檚 capture was the result of six months of reconnaissance and surveillance in the cartelB次元官网网址檚 territory, then quick action on Thursday. National Guard troops spotted SUVs, some with homemade armour, and immediately co-ordinated with the army as they established a perimeter around the suspicious vehicles and forced the occupants out to be searched.
The security forces then came under fire, but were able to gain control of the situation and identify Guzman among those present and in possession of firearms, Sandoval said.
B次元官网网址� Bob Weber, The Canadian Press
