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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just chaos,鈥� 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 鈥淭he Mouse鈥� Guzman, who is a son of former cartel boss Joaquin 鈥淓l Chapo鈥� Guzman.
Ottawa said the violence is particularly fierce in Culiacan, Mazatlan, Los Mochis and Guasave.
Dahl鈥檚 brother, sister-in-law, their three children and her sister-in-law鈥檚 mother are all trapped in their hotel room, she said.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e supposed to come back today, but they鈥檙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,鈥� Dahl said.
鈥淭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.鈥�
Dahl has no phone line through to the hotel, she said. But she has been able to communicate with her family through Facebook.
鈥淪ounds like they鈥檙e all OK,鈥� she said.
鈥�(They are) obviously shaken. Just from reading between the lines of the texts and such, they鈥檙e pretty shaken.鈥�
The children are ages 10, 8 and 7.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure my brother is probably got (the kids) at the pool, trying to keep them not (focused) on it,鈥� Dahl said.
Dahl quoted from a note written by her sister-in-law: 鈥淲hen it first happened, they said we鈥檇 try and get you on a flight at 2 o鈥檆lock tomorrow.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they鈥檒l be flying home tomorrow. The gates are locked, the airports are closed and they鈥檙e burning Mazatlan city.
鈥淭he lobby is full of people that were supposed to fly out and if they鈥檙e not out by 5 p.m., they鈥檙e kicking them out. These people can鈥檛 go out in the streets if there鈥檚 buses burning out front and the cartel鈥檚 there.鈥�
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, Mexico鈥檚 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.
鈥淚鈥檓 inside a hotel 鈥� three hours ago they took my car,鈥� local reporter Marcos Vizcarra said via Twitter. He said armed men had entered the hotel where he had sought shelter 鈥渁nd are threatening guests to give them their car keys.鈥�
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 Culiacan鈥檚 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.
It鈥檚 not the first time Ovidio Guzman鈥檚 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.
鈥淭his is a significant blow to the Sinaloa cartel and major victory for the rule of law,鈥� Mike Vigil, the DEA鈥檚 former chief of international operations. 鈥淚t will not, however, impede the flow of drugs into the U.S. Hopefully, Mexico will extradite him to the U.S.鈥�
Vigil said Guzman was involved in all of the cartel鈥檚 activities, especially the production of fentanyl.
Mexican Defence Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said Guzman鈥檚 capture was the result of six months of reconnaissance and surveillance in the cartel鈥檚 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.
鈥� Bob Weber, The Canadian Press
