Mexico's government on Wednesday showed dramatic video footage of the moment when its forces briefly captured a son of kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman this month before they were ordered to release the suspected trafficker to avoid a bloodbath.
With President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador looking on, top security officials gave a blow-by-blow account of the arrest of Ovidio Guzman that led to chaotic scenes in the northern city of Culiacan as cartel gunmen fought to free him.
Facing threats to the public and relatives of the armed forces, the security Cabinet ordered Guzman to be freed, leading to stinging criticism of Lopez Obrador that his actions had encouraged organized crime to hold the government to ransom.