El Chapo's son has reportedly been arrested in Mexico, triggering a major armed response from gunmen loyal to him.
Ivan Archivaldo Guzman, known as "El Chapito", was allegedly arrested by authorities in the city of Culiacan, regional capital of the state of Sinaloa.
Armed men are said to have opened fire on police demanding the release of the notorious drug lord's son.
Unofficial reports say gunmen have threatened to execute civilians if "El Chapito" isn't released.
Horrifying footage shared on social media contains the sound of gunshots from high calibre weapons.
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Some civilians have reportedly been caught up in the gunfight.
Journalist Luis Alberto Diaz said it was the arrest of a man reported to be Guzman which triggered the shooting, as gunmen in the cartel opened fire trying to free him, before opening fire on the army.
Eyewitnesses claim to have seen a van filled with gunmen driving through the city streets.
Residents have been told to stay off the streets and stay safe.
Mexican media reports there was a strong police response, with officers from the country's armed forces, also being scrambled.
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According to witnesses, a leader of the Sinaloa cartel was killed in a gunfight between police and the gunmen.
Reports in Mexico say shooting broke out on a bridge in the city centre, causing civilians to run for cover.
Authorities are yet to confirm that "El Chapito" has been arrested.
Joaquin Guzman Loera, "El Chapo", 62, is currently serving life imprisonment for drug trafficking and organised crime.
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Son Ivan has also been heavily involved in organised crime, and in February 2005, he was arrested on money-laundering charges in the Mexican city of Guadalajara.
He was sentenced to five years in federal prison but was released in April 2008, after a Mexican judge ruled there was no proof his money came from drugs, other than the fact that he was the son of a drug lord.
The judge, Jesus Guadalupe Luna was later suspended along with another judge on suspicion of irregularities, including regarding the release of El Chapito.
El Chapo is being held in a maximum-security prison in Colorado after he was found guilty in February of trafficking tonnes of cocaine, heroin and marijuana while head of the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel.
Last month, Daily Star Online revealed the former drug lord was "being tortured" just like any other president.
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