Ivan Archivaldo did not escape federal forces: García Harfuch

The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, denied that Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, alias “El Chapito” escaped from federal forces during an operation carried out in a tunnel in Culiacán, Sinaloa last week. “He was not the target,” he acknowledged.

He stated that this operation was planned to arrest two of the operators closest to the leader of the cartel called "Los Chapitos" which was achieved with the arrest of Kevin Alonso alias "El 200" identified as the head of security of that criminal organization and José Ángel Canobbio, "El Güerito" financial operator.

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He highlighted the operations of the National Defense Secretariat (Sedena) and other armed forces in Sinaloa, which have allowed for arrests and seizures, and even "this morning more people were arrested," which leads to the weakening of the criminal organization.

Secretary García Harfuch said that the security strategy in Sinaloa is leading to a constant weakening of the criminal organizations known as 'Los Chapitos' and 'Los Mayos', both groups that operate in that region of the country.

The Secretary of Public Security emphasized that the cartels that the United States government has now called terrorist groups were already a priority for the Mexican government to combat.

"They can designate them in their country as they wish, for us it was already a priority to combat them," the head of Public Security clarified.

Regarding the call he held last week with his U.S. counterpart, Kristi Noem, Secretary García Harfuch said that she informed him of the four axes that the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum is implementing in its security strategy.

He also noted that they shared information to dismantle criminal organizations.