Son of cartel boss El Chapo extradited to US

The move comes nine months after the accused drug trafficker was arrested by Mexican authorities

The son of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman has been extradited to the United States on drug trafficking charges, US officials said on Friday, noting that he faces criminal proceedings in at least three different states.

The US Justice Department announced the news on Friday, saying the 33-year-old Ovidio Guzman Lopez, with Attorney General Merrick Garland saying the extradition was part of a DOJ effort to “attack every aspect” of the Sinaloa cartel.

“The fight against the cartels has involved incredible courage by United States law enforcement and Mexican law enforcement and military servicemembers, many of whom have given their lives in the pursuit of justice,” he said, vowing to continue pursuing “those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country.”

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Guzman Lopez was arrested in a raid by the Mexican police and military at a compound in Culiacan earlier this year, prompting a string of gun fights with security forces across the city before the drug boss ultimately gave himself up.

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