Ovidio Guzmán could be released in a few months

• A judge explains how and when Ovidio Guzmán could be released.
• What do they need to hold him?
• AMLO said that Ovidio Guzmán would not be extradited quickly.

The arrest of Ovidio Guzmán, son of the famous drug trafficker Joaquín «El Chapo» Guzmán Loera, who is currently imprisoned in the United States, has generated many theories about a possible extradition or even a release of the capo.

A Mexican federal judge on Friday froze Ovidio Guzmán’s extradition to the United States by granting him an amparo, EFE reported. He is one of the sons of Joaquín Guzmán who is most wanted by the US. Ovidio was arrested on Thursday. The judge suspended «the acts consisting of deportation, expulsion, extradition and their execution» according to file 24/2023 of the Juzgado Sexto del Distrito de Amparo en Materia Penal de la Ciudad de México.

Judge gives good news to Ovidio Guzmán

His lawyers requested the order, «So that they are not executed and the complainant remains in the place where he is at the disposal of this court, only in relation to his personal freedom and is not turned over to the Government of the United States of America, nor to no diverse state.” Likewise, the judge granted another amparo to prevent the drug trafficker’s solitary confinement, so he can contact his family and defense attorneys, according to EFE.

The US government will have 60 days to request El Chapo’s son’s extradition, according to infobae. But if this does not happen, Gregorio Salazar Hernández, control judge of the Almoloya de Juárez Federal Criminal Justice Center, based in the prison where Ovidio Guzmán is being held, made the forceful statement about his release.

When could he be released?

The authorities in the United States requested «El Ratón’s» extradition in 2019, but with the capo’s latest arrest, a file must be presented with the accusations and evidence against Guzmán López, according to infobae.

In addition, a Mexican judge established that if the US authorities do not make the extradition request before March 5, he would order the release of Ovidio Guzmán. As of January 5, El Chapo’s son had no investigations or accusations in Mexico.

Weren’t they looking for him in Mexico?

However, after he resisted arrest, the leader of Los Chapitos could face consequences for crimes such as possession of weapons for the exclusive use of the Army and for attempted homicide, according to infobae. The US government has already spoken out.

According to EFE, the US authorities said they were grateful for the arrest of the drug trafficker. The spokesman for the White House Security Council, John Kirby, indicated in a press conference that «this is not an insignificant achievement on the part of the Mexican authorities.»

“We are certainly grateful for that”

«We’re certainly grateful for that,» Kirby said, responding to a question from a reporter about whether the Biden administration would like to see some kind of concrete action by Mexico to stop the production and smuggling of fentanyl, reported EFE.

Kirby pointed out that he didn’t want to get ahead of the summit in Mexico between Biden, his Mexican counterpart, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, although he assured that they are going to talk “a lot” about this issue. And he stressed that Mexico has already taken «significant steps» such as the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán.