Noose closed on 'El Chapo' Guzman

[Political Junky]

The War on Drugs made a big catch Saturday.

As allies fell, noose closed on 'El Chapo' Guzman - Houston Chronicle

9Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted to a helicopter in handcuffs by Mexican navy marines at a navy hanger in Mexico City, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014. A senior U.S. law enforcement official said Saturday, that Guzman, the head of Mexicoís Sinaloa Cartel, was captured alive overnight in the beach resort town of Mazatlan. Guzman faces multiple federal drug trafficking indictments in the U.S. and is on the Drug Enforcement Administrationís most-wanted list.

 

[Tank]

El Chapo, sounds hispanic

 

[Gracie]

I saw that earlier on the news and my first thought was....sure is going to be some scramblings of other cartels to take over his turf.

 

[Political Junky]

Most-Wanted Drug Leader Guzman Captured in Pacific Mexico Resort - Businessweek
Mexico's apprehension of the world's most-wanted drug boss yesterday struck a blow to a cartel that local and U.S. authorities say swelled into a multinational empire, fueling killings around the world.

Mexican security forces captured Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman early yesterday in the Pacific beach town of Mazatlan after trailing him since at least Feb. 13, Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam told reporters yesterday at the Mexico City airport. He said 13 people were apprehended in all, with no shots fired. Authorities also seized guns, a rocket launcher and 43 vehicles.
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[Political Junky]

El Chapo, sounds hispanic

Yes, it means shorty.

 

[waltky]

Hunt for El Chapo scarin' the bejeebers outta villagers...

'El Chapo' manhunt leaves bullet-riddled homes, cars
19 Oct 2015 - Bullet holes on roofs, charred cars and deserted villages were left in the wake of a failed military operation to catch fugitive drug baron Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in northwest Mexico.

Remote hamlets around the municipality of Tamazula, Durango state, are like ghost towns as hundreds of terrified residents fled to the nearest city, Cosala in neighboring Sinaloa state, following the intense marine manhunt more than a week ago. But one place still has the attention of the marines. In El Limon, troops blocked access to a mysterious ranch, with spikes on the road to prevent cars from approaching. According to displaced villagers, it was here that marines started to shoot at homes from helicopters in an operation that extended to other parts of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range -- the bastion of Guzman's Sinaloa drug cartel. When AFP journalists approached the ranch, three marines stopped their vehicles, pointed rifles at them and loudly demanded who had sent them there.

A truck damaged by gunfire during a military operation to try and catch ugitive drug baron Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in Durango State​

A superior then videotaped the journalists and explained that he had instructions not to let anyone through. The refusal to let anybody pass adds to the mystery of what exactly transpired in the operation to catch Guzman, whose brazen July 11 escape from a prison in central Mexico humiliated President Enrique Pena Nieto. The government, in a brief statement Friday, said only that Guzman was injured in the leg and face while fleeing an operation in the northwest in recent days. Officials told AFP Guzman hurt himself in a fall and that the operation occurred in the Sinaloa-Durango region. Authorities denied accusations by locals that the marines shot at the civilian population, with the navy saying Sunday that it has "strictly" respected human rights.

- Raining bullets -

A truck burned during the hunt for escaped drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman at the Comedero Colorado ranch, in the municipality of Tamazula, Durango State​

But residents who fled the area tell a different story. Ines Ayon Mendoza, 24, said she was making tortillas on the morning of October 6 when a burst of bullets hit her home in Comedero Colorado, near El Limon. She ran to get her two-year-old daughter when two apparent marine helicopters struck her village even "harder." Her husband, Gonzalo Elias Pena, told prosecutors that their house had dozens of bullet holes and that her car had burned. AFP journalists did not see any bullet shells around the vehicle on Sunday. Mendoza and her husband walked for four days along cliffs and through brush with their toddler.

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Villagers recall fear as troops fired in 'Chapo' raid
18 Oct 2015 - Ayon Mendoza was making tortillas when a burst of bullets hit her home in Mexico. She ran to get her toddler when two helicopters, apparently military, struck her village even harder.

At the time, she did not understand what happened in her northwestern Durango state hamlet on October 6. But she later learned the shooting coincided with operations to capture fugitive drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in the mountain region. The 24-year-old house wife said her home in Comedero Colorado had dozens of bullet holes and her car burned, so she and hundreds of terrified people from other villages fled to Cosala, Sinaloa state. Mendoza and her husband, Gonzalo Elias Pena, walked for four days along cliffs and through brush with their two-year-old daughter on the Sierra Madre mountain range, the bastion of the Sinaloa drug cartel chief.

Members of the Mexican army stand guard at the entrance to Cosala town in Sinaloa State​

Lacking food and water, they finally arrived in the picturesque town of Cosala, where more than 600 other people from villages from neighboring Durango state have taken refuge, recounting similar stories. "We were walking in the dark because where there was light, they would start shooting. It was firing from all sides," Mendoza said as she and other displaced families waited for clothes and food handouts from the authorities in Cosala. Her husband, Gonzalo, said: "The newspaper reported they were looking for him (Guzman), but he wasn't there and they almost killed us." Federal officials say marine special forces closed in on Guzman in the Durango-Sinaloa mountain region last week but that he slipped away, injuring himself in the leg and face because he fell while fleeing.

Members of a Mexican family displaced by violence and operations against drug trafficking wait for food in front of a temporary shelter in Cosala town, Sinaloa State​

A federal government official denied that the marines fired on civilian homes. But, the official told AFP, "obviously when they face people who fire at them, they will repel the aggression." US law enforcement officials, who are helping Mexican authorities hunt for Guzman, believe the 58-year-old fugitive fled to his Sierra Madre mountain stronghold after escaping prison in central Mexico on July 11, just 17 months after his capture. Guzman's jailbreak -- his second since 2001 -- caused deep embarrassment to President Enrique Pena Nieto, whose government detained a dozen prison officials and vowed to recapture him.

- 'Rain of bullets' -

 

[waltky]

He oughta be a fairly desperate hombre now...

'El Chapo' Guzman broke leg during special forces pursuit
Oct. 21, 2015 - A recently leaked video of Guzman's prison break has raised further suspicions of corruption.

Notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman reportedly broke his leg after falling off a small cliff when Mexican special forces tracked him down to a mountainous region. Guzman was spotted by Mexican marines and other special forces on Oct. 9 near the town of Cosala in Mexico's Sinaloa state. He was seen with a child, causing authorities to hesitate in creating a possibly deadly pursuit, CNN reported. When special forces later saw Guzman without the child, they moved in and pursued Guzman on foot. An official with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that Guzman fell off a cliff and was recovered by his bodyguards -- escaping into a dense forest.

Drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has reportedly injured himself after falling off a small cliff when special forces tracked him down to a mountainous region. Authorities believe he injured his face and broke his leg.​

Authorities believe Guzman injured his face and broke his leg after the fall. Last week, an unedited leaked video of Guzman's escape shed further light into the suspicious circumstances surrounding the prison break. Mexican television channel Televisa broadcasted the CCTV footage of Guzman's escape, the longer version of a video authorities previously released but without sound and only showing the moments before Guzman disappeared. Guzman escaped from a Mexican prison for the second time in July by using a mile-long tunnel, which could have taken a year to build. At least three others have also been charged over the escape.

The entrance of the tunnel measured about 20-by-20 inches and the tunnel itself was about 5 feet deep. Other sections of the tunnel delve much deeper. PVC piping, likely used for ventilation and lighting, was found throughout the tunnel. A motorcycle was also found, apparently used to dig and to transport materials for the tunnel. "El Chapo" -- meaning "The Short One" or "shorty" -- so dubbed because of his 5-foot-6-inch frame, was captured in Guatemala in 1993 and then extradited to Mexico to face murder and drug trafficking charges. He escaped from prison in 2001 by hiding in a laundry cart after bribing prison guards, and was re-captured in February 2014. Guzman's previous escape cost him about $2.5 million.

'El Chapo' Guzman broke leg during special forces pursuit

RELATED:

Unedited video of 'El Chapo' Guzman prison escape leaked
Oct. 15, 2015 -- An unedited leaked video of notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's escape sheds further light into the suspicious circumstances surrounding the prison break.

Mexican television channel Televisa broadcasted the CCTV footage of Guzman's escape, the longer version of a video authorities previously released but without sound and only showing the moments before Guzman disappeared. In the video, Guzman is seen lying down on his bed while watching television. At 8:46 p.m. on July 11, loud hammering and drilling noises begin coming from Guzman's cell. A video of the prison control room monitoring Guzman shows employees not responding to the hammering noise that goes on intermittently for several minutes.

Guzman rises from bed and walks over to the bathroom area and pretends to use the restroom. He paces back to the other side of his cell as the sound can be heard of a large object falling and dirt falling down. Guzman walks back and another voice is heard briefly. He paces back and forth once more, sits on his bed to change shoes and disappears at 8:52 p.m. -- unbeknownst to control room monitors.

At 9:17 p.m., two prison officials view Guzman's cell at a monitor and send two guards to check on Guzman. "Guzman? Guzman?" one guard says while peeking into the cell. Moments later, both guards enter the cell and communicate with their commander.

The following is the conversation between the guard and his superior:

 

[waltky]

Got him - again!...

'El Chapo' recaptured after jail break
8 Jan.`16 - Mexico's authorities have recaptured drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, six months after he escaped from a maximum-security jail.

In a post on Twitter, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said: "Mission accomplished: We got him." Guzman was one of the world's most-wanted drug lords, whose Sinaloa cartel smuggled cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines to the US. He escaped from jail through a 1.5km (mile) long tunnel dug in the showers. His escape sparked a huge manhunt, with flights suspended at the nearby airports. The US government had offered a $5m (£3.2m) reward for information leading to his capture. Guzman was apprehended following a shoot-out with Mexican marines in Los Mochis, a coastal city in his home state of Sinaloa, north-west Mexico, an official told the Associated Press.

Guzman (right) was one of the world's most wanted drug traffickers​

Authorities located him several days ago based on reports that he was in the area, he added. Mr Pena Nieto said on Twitter: "I want to inform Mexicans that Joaquin Guzman Loera has been arrested." Guzman's July escape was his second - he was first arrested in Guatemala in 1993 and escaped from Puente Grande jail in 2001, reportedly in a laundry basket after bribing officials. He was on the run for 13 years before being held again in 2014. His recapture was hailed as a victory for Mexico's government.

In October 2015, Mexico officials said they had "broken up" and arrested the group responsible for helping him escape. CCTV footage of his 11 July escape showed Guzman pacing his cell several times before heading into the shower area and disappearing at the maximum-security Altiplano jail. His wealth is estimated at $1bn. Despite being the leader of one of the world's most powerful and violent drug cartels, Guzman was seen by some in Sinaloa - where there are few job opportunities - as a modern-day Robin Hood figure who could offer more security to people than the government. Following his escape, shopkeepers began selling souvenirs such as baseball caps branded with "El Chapo" (Guzman's nickname, meaning "Shorty").

'El Chapo' recaptured after jail break - BBC News

 

[Katzndogz]

How long before he escapes, again?

 

[waltky]

Chapo's accountant caught...

'El Chapo' drug empire's alleged financial operator arrested in Mexico
Feb. 10, 2016 -- Mexican Federal Police arrested Guadalupe Fernández Valencia, the alleged financial operator of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel.

Fernández Valencia, who was arrested Tuesday, is accused of entering the drug business in 1990 by smuggling drugs into the United States, where she was arrested in 1998. Once released from a California prison, she allegedly continued her illicit activities by smuggling large quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States to take the profits back to Mexico.

Mexican Federal Police on Tuesday arrested Guadalupe Fernández Valencia, the alleged financial operator of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel. She was previously arrested in the United States.​

Mexican Federal Police said that in March 2015, the U.S. government asked Mexico to issue an arrest warrant with the purpose of extradition -- citing alleged collaboration in drug trafficking and money laundering between Fernández Valencia and Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel. The U.S. Department of Treasury later froze her accounts and assets, and prohibited businesses and individuals from doing business with her. "Guadalupe Fernández will be admitted to the Federal Social Rehabilitation Center to be made available to required judicial authority," Mexican Federal Police said in a statement.

Guzman was captured in the city of Los Mochis in his home state of Sinaloa on Jan. 8 after escaping from Mexico's Altiplano Federal Prison on July 11. Guzma's Sinaloa Cartel is credited with dominating the illegal drug market in nearly the entire United States, according to a recent report by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The report states the criminal organization is most powerful "along the West Coast, through the Midwest, and into the Northeast."

'El Chapo' drug empire's alleged financial operator arrested in Mexico

 

[waltky]

Please don't throw me back in dat briar patch...

'El Chapo' could be headed back to prison he escaped from last year
Aug. 19, 2016 -- Accused Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán, who's awaiting extradition to the United States, might be headed back to the same prison he escaped from a year ago, a judge ruled this week.

After he was recaptured in January, the alleged kingpin was eventually transferred to a holding facility just south of the Texas border while American authorities work to have him shipped to the United States to face a slew of drug trafficking and related charges. Wednesday, a Mexican judge ruled that Guzmán had been transferred away from the Altiplano maximum security prison, near Mexico City, in May without proper authorization -- and ordered that he be sent back. Altiplano is where Guzmán was first held after his recapture in January -- and where he brazenly escaped in July 2015. He was transferred to Cefereso No. 9 prison after a power outage in May caused authorities to worry that the alleged cartel king may be plotting another breakout.

Having twice previously escaped from Mexican jails, the notorious drug trafficker is now kept in solitary confinement under heavy guard. The judge's ruling came following a motion filed by Guzmán's defense team, which claimed prison officials unlawfully moved him to the facility across the border from El Paso, Texas. "He asked us that we would file an injunction to return him to Altiplano," defense attorney José Refugio Rodríguez said. Defense attorneys say one of the chief reasons for the request was because the Cefereso No. 9 facility is farther away from Guzmán's defense team than Altiplano.

Accused Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is presently being held in the Cefereso No. 9 prison in Ciudad Juarez, pictured above, which is located directly across the U.S.-Mexico border from El Paso, Texas.​

Government officials, though, can appeal the judge's ruling, which would likely delay Guzmán's return to Altiplano for months. Security surrounding Guzmán in Ciudad Juarez poses significant concerns for federal officials, particularly after one of Guzmán sons was kidnapped in Puerto Vallarta this week, supposedly by a rival cartel. The ongoing battle between Guzmán's Sinaloa cartel and its chief rival, New Generation, officials fear, could lead to any number of potentially dangerous scenarios involving the suspect's transfer.

'El Chapo' could be headed back to prison he escaped from last year