Reactions after the recapture of “El Chapo”

During the operation of the Mexican armed forces in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, where Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and his accomplices were detained, several firearms were also confiscated.

The federal agents that carried out the raid were attacked by members of the Sinaloa Cartel in a hotel in Los Mochis, where five suspected criminals were killed and six others arrested.

The operation resulted in the seizure of four vehicles, two of which are armored; eight long rifles, a handgun, clips, ammunition and even a rocket launcher.

Photo: SEMAR

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch is calling the recapture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman “a victory for the citizens of both Mexico and the United States, and a vindication of the rule of law in our countries.”

In a statement, Lynch said Guzman “will now have to answer for his alleged crimes” and congratulated Mexico’s government but did not directly address the sticky issue of extradition.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch (Photo: AP)

Guzman faces charges in multiple different jurisdictions across the United States. His escape six months ago from a maximum security prison in Mexico was a point of friction between the two governments. The U.S. has sought his extradition, though Mexico in the past has said he would serve sentences here first.

President Enrique Pena Nieto calls the capture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman a “victory for the rule of law” that demonstrates that Mexicans can have confidence in their institutions, using the capture to boost the administration’s lagging credibility after a series of scandals.

Guzman’s escape six months ago from a maximum security prison was a major embarrassment to Pena Nieto’s government.

(Photo: Animal Político)

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says it is “extremely pleased” by the recapture of Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

On its Twitter account, the DEA congratulated Mexico’s government on nabbing Guzman, who escaped from a maximum-security prison six months ago, and said it salutes “the bravery involved in his capture.”

U.S. officials are asking the Mexican government for the “immediate extradition” of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán following the drug lord’s recapture today in Sinaloa, according to highly placed agents in the U.S. government.

Joaquín Guzmán Loera “El Chapo” is known in Mexico as a narco folk hero and the country’s most powerful kingpin, running a diversified portfolio of illicit products including marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines and heroin that operated in some 34 countries, according to U.S. and Mexican government estimates. He even earned a place on the Forbes magazine billionaires list.

TYT Newsroom