A son of “El Chapo” Guzman was kidnapped in a restaurant at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. A prosecutor from the Jalisco state of Mexico made public the incident on Tuesday at a news conference.

El Chapo’s son, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, was identified as one of the six people kidnapped on Monday in La Leche restaurant, located in the Mexican beach resort city of Puerto Vallarta. Jalisco Attorney General, Eduardo Almaguer, said at a news conference on Tuesday that Jalisco’s authorities have identified four of the five men that were abducted on Monday. One of them is the 29-year-old son of El Chapo.

El Chapo Guzman
El Chapo is currently retained in a Mexican prison in Juarez city, while his attorneys are working to extradite him to the United States. Image credit: www.pbs.org.

Mexican authorities are on the trail of the kidnapped men. All Mexican forces, including the federal police, the Mexican army, state police and the country’s prosecution office, have been urged to find the missing men.

Almaguer said that the abduction might be the result of a criminal group operating in Jalisco, the Jalisco New Generation cartel. The abducted are allegedly rivals of the Sinaloa cartel headed by Guzman.

Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar: The son of the most powerful drug lord in South America

During Tuesday’s night news conference, Almaguer provided some details about the abduction. He said that seven men carrying long guns broke into the upscale restaurant “La Leche” (located on Francisco Medina Ascencio Avenue, a popular tourist destination in Jalisco) and took the men in Guzman’s group.

El Chapo
José Eduardo Almaguer Ramírez confirms Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar’ kidnapping. Image credit: EFE.

There were nine women accompanying the kidnapped, according to Almaguer. After entering the restaurant and controlling the diners, the subjects separated the women to a side and violently took the men with them, said Almaguer after reviewing the restaurant’s footage.

It has been throughout investigation, eyewitness reports and information gathered from a vehicle, that Mexican authorities have identified one of the missing individuals as the son of the Mexican drug lord.

Almaguer observed that authorities have not been contacted to provide hints on the case.

“It is important to note that at this moment, we have not received any complaints or calls from any part of the missing and at the same time, we have also not received any calls from anyone that indicates that there is anyone asking the organization regarding anyone,” Prosecutor Almaguer said.

It seems like there is a war for control between the Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco Cartel that has repeatedly hit the imprisoned drug lord’s family. When El Chapo was put behind bars, the elder of his children, Ivan Archivaldo Guzman, took control of his business. He has apparently failed to manage the cartel.

Experts agree that rivals need to gather information about the family’s movements. Ivan Archivaldo put it on a silver tray with his frequent posts on social media. Narcos have traditionally kept a lower profile and Ivan Archivaldo does exactly the opposite.

Source: The New York Times