El Chapo’s Son Among Hostages in Puerto Vallarta Restaurant Kidnapping [UPDATE]
Gunmen stormed into a high-end Puerto Vallarta restaurant early Monday and abducted six men, including the son of Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
Jalisco state Attorney General Eduardo Almaguer initially said all the parties were associated with criminal originations, but declined to say whether the Jalisco New Generation cartel or Guzman's Sinaloa cartel were involved.
On Tuesday, Almaguer told Radio Formula that Ivan Archivaldo Guzman "is presumed" to be among the kidnapped. He couldn't confirm the younger Guzman's involvement because "several of [the victims] had false identities."
Five gunmen arrived at La Leche restaurant shortly before closing time Sunday night, according to the Associated Press. Four women accompanying the victims were not taken, but their whereabouts are unknown. One of five vehicles abandoned in the restaurant parking lot carried a Jalisco license plate and false registration.
"Obviously, those who acted - we presume with the information we have - also belong to a criminal group that acted against members of another criminal group they located here in Puerto Vallarta," Almaguer said.
El Chapo's Social Media-Friendly Sons
Authorities said they found drinks and luxury items throughout the restaurant, which falls in line with Ivan Archivaldo's reputation as a spendthrift who values maintaining a certain lifestyle over running his father's empire.
"Ivan Archivaldo was, I believe, a bit crazy," said Raul Benitez, a security specialist who spoke with the AP. "He spends all his time posting things on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter. A serious narco doesn't do that."
While verifying independent Twitter accounts is difficult, Mexican media has gone a long way in confirming at least one of the younger Guzman's affluent tendencies. His Facebook and Twitter pages showcase sports cars, gold-plated assault rifles, and at least one picture with mounds of cocaine.
Last September, El Chapo's other son tweeted a picture with a caption that read "Satisfied here, you already know with whom." Alfredo Guzman revealed his father's location just eight weeks after El Chapo tunneled out of a Mexican jail. El Chapo was caught in a shootout with Mexican security forces four months later.
Puerto Vallarta Officials Do Damage Control
La Leche restaurant is on Puerto Vallarta's main boulevard just a stone's throw away from the beach. Nearly two million international visitors vacationed there last year according to the city's tourism website, which is why both the tourism board and Jalisco Gov. Aristoteles Sandoval released statements reassuring travelers that Monday's kidnapping was an isolated incident. "To the residents and tourists of Puerto Vallarta, I inform you that we have reinforced security so that you can go on as usual," Sandoval wrote.
Update 7:30 p.m. EST:
Mexican authorities confirmed late Tuesday that the missing Guzman brother is Alfredo, not Ivan.
"At this moment, we have identified four of the kidnapped, one of them being Jesus Alfredo Guzman," Almaguer said at a press conference. Almaguer initially insinuated that Ivan was missing, but backpedaled in a radio interview Tuesday morning.
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