MEXICO CITY: An intense gunfight with heavy weapons and burning vehicles blocking roads raged in the capital of Mexico鈥檚 Sinaloa state Thursday after security forces located one of Joaqu铆n 鈥淓l Chapo鈥� Guzm谩n鈥檚 sons who is wanted in the US on drug trafficking charges.
Mexican security secretary Alfonso Durazo said 30 members of the National Guard and army were patrolling in Culiacan when they were fired on from a house. They repelled the attack and inside the house found Ovidio Guzm谩n L贸pez.
Durazo said the house was then surrounded by heavily armed gunmen who had 鈥渁 greater force鈥� and authorities decided to suspend the operation. He did not say if Ovidio Guzm谩n was arrested or went free after being located.
Ovidio was not one of the jailed Mexican drug lord鈥檚 best-known sons 鈥� Iv谩n Archivaldo and Jes煤s Alfredo Guzm谩n are known as 鈥渓os Chapitos,鈥� or 鈥渢he little Chapos,鈥� and are believed to currently run their father鈥檚 Sinaloa Cartel together with Ismael 鈥淓l Mayo鈥� Zambada.
But Ovidio Guzm谩n was indicted by a grand jury in Washington, along with a fourth brother, in 2018 for the alleged trafficking of cocaine, methampetamine and marijuana.
Following Thursday鈥檚 localization of Ovidio, local media reported that armed civilians in trucks roared through Culiacan鈥檚 center shooting what appeared to be .50-caliber sniper rifles and machine guns. There was a heavy deployment of Mexican security forces.

Videos published on social media showed a scene resembling a war zone, with gunmen, some wearing black ski masks over their faces, riding in the back of trucks firing mounted machine guns as vehicles burned. People could be seen running for cover as machine gun fire rattled around them. Drivers drove in reverse frantically to move away from the clashes. Some drivers rolled under their stationary cars for cover.
Sinaloa public safety director Crist贸bal Casta帽eda told Milenio television the army launched the operation Thursday afternoon and soon afterward government surveillance cameras alerted authorities that gunmen in vehicles were circulating in downtown Culiacan.
Casta帽eda said gunmen blocked a number of city streets with burning vehicles, a common tactic to make it difficult for security forces to maneuver.
Simultaneously, some 20 to 30 prisoners escaped though some were quickly recaptured, he said.
State officials asked residents to avoid going out in parts of city.
Sinaloa鈥檚 soccer club Dorados announced that it had canceled its game Thursday due to security concerns.
Sinaloa is home to the cartel by the same name, which was led by 鈥淓l Chapo鈥� Guzm谩n. Guzm谩n was sentenced to life in prison in the United States in July. He has many children.
After Guzm谩n鈥檚 third arrest in 2016, an internal battle for succession began playing out. The battle was resolved with the arrest of Damaso L贸pez Nunez and his son D谩maso L贸pez Serrano, who led a rival faction.
Since then 鈥淟os Chapitos鈥� and Zambada are believed to have run the cartel.