Featured Image Credit: FBI
Topics: US News, Drugs, Crime, World News
Daisy Phillipson
The son of one of the world's most notorious drug cartel bosses is demanding a DNA test in a bid to claim he's not related to the kingpin.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Loera, was arrested earlier this year by Mexican forces for his involvement in his dad's criminal group.
The 32-year-old was previously detained in 2019, but was later released after significant threats of violence from his supporters, a move that was considered an embarrassment to the Mexican Government.
In 2021, the US put a $5 million bounty on Guzman as well as three of his brothers, who took over a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Advert
His recent arrest by Mexican authorities once again sparked fierce backlash from gangs across the northwestern city of Culiacan.
Violence became so intense over the detainment of the young kingpin that Culiacan Airport was forced to close for safety reasons as riots and looting took hold of the city.
Guzman's father El Chapo was famously captured and extradited to the US, where he was convicted in 2019 for 10 counts including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and drug trafficking charges, among others.
The 65-year-old drug lord is currently serving a life sentence at the maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado.
And now it looks like his son is set to follow in his father's footsteps.
Authorities are attempting to extradite Guzman to the US where he would face drug trafficking charges and potentially earn himself a similar sentence to his dad.
However, in a hearing earlier this month, his legal team attempted to block the move by arguing that the arrest was a case of mistaken identity.
According to the Daily Mail, Guzman told judge Rogelio Diaz: "I am not the person they think, who the United States claims."
Now he'll have to get a DNA test to prove whether or not his claims are legit.
His team also petitioned against the extradition by arguing that the request doesn't meet the guidelines of a treaty between the US and Mexico.
They cited Article 25 of the International Extradition Law, which states that the extradition process cannot be carried out when the person involved is different from the one whose extradition is requested.
Whether or not their case works out is yet to be seen, but they have managed to at least delay the process and keep the drug lord on Mexican soil for the time being.