_
_
_
_
LATIN AMERICA

Mexican president announces capture of drug lord “El Chapo” Guzmán

The world’s most-wanted trafficker has been arrested in Sinaloa, Peña Nieto confirms

Jan Martínez Ahrens
Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is escorted by soldiers during a presentation at the navy's airstrip in Mexico City in 2011.
Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is escorted by soldiers during a presentation at the navy's airstrip in Mexico City in 2011.HENRY ROMERO (REUTERS)

Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, the world’s most-wanted drug lord, has been arrested in Mexico, according to government sources.

His capture, which was confirmed by Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in a Twitter message, brings an end to a huge manhunt that began on July 11 when the drug kingpin escaped from El Altiplano maximum security prison outside Mexico City via a 1,500-meter-long tunnel dug under the facility.

“Mission accomplished: we have him,” Peña Nieto wrote. “I want to inform Mexicans that Joaquín Guzmán Loera has been arrested.”

His escape caused huge embarrassment to the Peña Nieto administration and turned the recapture of the Sinaloa cartel leader into the greatest challenge of the president’s term of office so far.

According to official sources, that mission was finally completed in the early hours of Friday morning in Mochis, in El Chapo’s home state of Sinaloa, when navy commandos burst into a property in the town. Five of the drug lord’s alleged bodyguards are believed to have died – though whether the deaths occurred in this operation or in a connected one is unclear.

More information
Two Mexican marines gunned down as they hunt for ‘El Chapo’
Security camera footage of El Chapo’s escape released by Mexican authorities
New video shows how guards ignored banging sounds inside ‘El Chapo’s’ cell

Authorities had been closing in on the drug trafficker in recent months. He had already managed to evade navy commandos, who had previously captured him in 2014, in Los Mochis in July and at a ranch in the Sierra Madre mountains in October – on both occasions slipping away at the last moment and even injuring himself in the process. But the Mexican government viewed his arrest as a mere matter of time, mobilizing thousands of soldiers, police officers and intelligence agents to achieve its goal. The US also collaborated in the pursuit.

English version by Nick Funnell.

Tu suscripción se está usando en otro dispositivo

¿Quieres añadir otro usuario a tu suscripción?

Si continúas leyendo en este dispositivo, no se podrá leer en el otro.

¿Por qué estás viendo esto?

Flecha

Tu suscripción se está usando en otro dispositivo y solo puedes acceder a EL PAÍS desde un dispositivo a la vez.

Si quieres compartir tu cuenta, cambia tu suscripción a la modalidad Premium, así podrás añadir otro usuario. Cada uno accederá con su propia cuenta de email, lo que os permitirá personalizar vuestra experiencia en EL PAÍS.

En el caso de no saber quién está usando tu cuenta, te recomendamos cambiar tu contraseña aquí.

Si decides continuar compartiendo tu cuenta, este mensaje se mostrará en tu dispositivo y en el de la otra persona que está usando tu cuenta de forma indefinida, afectando a tu experiencia de lectura. Puedes consultar aquí los términos y condiciones de la suscripción digital.

Recomendaciones EL PAÍS
Recomendaciones EL PAÍS
_
_