Did El Chapo Escape From Prison Again
El Chapo's prison conditions were bleaker than his first stint — he was in solitary confinement for 23 hours per day, and his cell did not have windows. His cell was located near other drug cartel members, even those who feuded with Sinaloa. In July of 2015, El Chapo escaped from prison once again. Drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, known for repeatedly escaping from Mexican prisons, is now at a federal prison in Florence considered escape-proof, where ultra-violent prisoners once. Del Castillo had good reason to think a movie about El Chapo would be a worthwhile project. From his cross-border tunnels to his outlandish escapes from prison, his story was ripe for a big-screen.
On July 11, 2015, Mexico authorities reported that El Chapo has escaped from his maximum-security prison yet again. No laundry cart was reportedly involved this time, as was the case for his legendary escape in 2001.
Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is one of the most notorious and powerful drug lords to have ever walked God’s green earth. His rise through the ranks of Mexico’s drug cartels, and subsequent leadership of an international crime syndicate, has etched his name in the history books alongside other kingpins like Pablo Escobar, Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo also known as “El Padrino,” and America’s Frank Lucas to name a few. Guzman has also become a pop-culture figure due to Netflix’s hit shows Narcos and El Chapo. Yet, it’s his highly publicized prison escapes and recent trial that bring us together today.
Political and entertainment betting sites have an “Emmy award winning” prop bet on the board that offers bettors a chance to wager on whether or not El Chapo can escape a supermax prison in America. Guzman was sentenced this week to life in prison plus 30 years for good measure after the United States government found him guilty for a litany of crimes. However, unlike his life sentence, this mind-blowing prop bet won’t last as long. So, let’s examine this wager further to see if we can become a kingpin for a day.
Will El Chapo Escape From Prison in 2019 or 2020?
- No (-100000)
- Yes (+2500)
Bovada has created quite the buzz with this prop bet. Not only are they striking while the iron is hot, due to Guzman’s recent court case, but they’re also listing odds that would require drug lords to wager on in order to make any money.
On the surface, these odds are astronomical. The “yes” option would net you $2,500 dollars per every $100 wager. However, the “no” option requires that bettors place $100,000 dollars just to win $100. Needless to say, the value heavily leans toward one option.
El Chapo’s Recent Trial and Guilty Verdict
On Wednesday, July 17th, a federal judge sentenced Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to a life sentence plus 30 years for crimes that he was found guilty of by a jury in February. Guzman declared that his trial was “stained” due to jury misconduct, which there is some concern over an “anonymous juror” telling a media outlet that other members of the jury ignored the judge’s orders and read about the case through the media. Whether this “anonymous juror” was telling the truth or not is a debate for another day. Evidently, the judge didn’t believe this and still continued with the legal proceedings. However, this could be a factor in Guzman’s appeal process.
According to court documents, these were Guzman’s final words before being sentenced and shipped off to the ADX Florence supermax prison:
“My case was stained and you denied me a fair trial when the whole world was watching and where the press was present, judging everybody’s actions at every moment. And this then can be denied to any other person in other cases where nobody’s watching. What happened here leaves very clear that the United States is not better than any other corrupt country of those that you do not respect.”
What Is the ADX Florence Supermax Prison?
Located in Fremont County, Colorado, is a supermax prison considered to be the highest level of maximum security in America. Also known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” this is where the worst of the worst are sent to live out their final days.
In addition to El Chapo, this prison is filled with some of the most infamous Al-Qaeda terrorists and double agents ever convicted. Additionally, it’s also filled with domestic terrorists and criminals like “The Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski and the Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
ADX Florence can hold up to 490 of the world’s most dangerous and high-profile criminals. However, public records indicate that it’s never been completely filled. Each inmate spends at least 23 hours per day in their 7×12 foot cell. Showers are on a timer and the furniture within the cell is immovable. Furthermore, interaction with other inmates is very minimal and the only contact with the outside world is a four-inch window looking out at the sky.
The prison itself is known to be inescapable with numerous security measures inside and outside the prison walls including motion sensors, cameras, armed officers, and more.
According to The New York Post, Robert Hood—a former warden of ADX Florence—made the following comments about this prison:
“It’s not a place designed for humanity. It’s one click away from the death penalty. All of a sudden, one day, you’re put in a box and not cared about—that’s the punishment.”
El Chapo’s Previous Prison Escapes
On June 9th, 1993, El Chapo was arrested for the first time in Guatemala. It was a multi-country manhunt that finally captured an elusive Guzman who was then extradited to Mexico. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison for charges including drug trafficking and bribery. Despite being in prison, Guzman’s Sinaloa Cartel became the most powerful criminal organization throughout the world and El Chapo became a billionaire.
Guzman’s power and resources helped him escape prison in January of 2001 after a carefully crafted plan was executed with the help of roughly 80 people according to officials at the time. Guzman snuck out of the prison in a laundry cart and was whisked away in the trunk of a car. It’s alleged that Guzman paid over $2.5 million to execute this escape plan.
El Chapo’s Second Prison Escape
Guzman’s evasion of authorities lasted 13 years before being captured again on February 22, 2014. During that time, El Chapo became one of the world’s most wanted figures and also led a brutal drug war in Mexico for several years. He became a legend not only in Mexico, but throughout the world for his power, wealth, and evasiveness.
Guzman was quickly imprisoned in Mexico, and the government refused a second extradition request from the United States. Many legal battles took place in 2014 and 2015 between the Mexican government and Guzman’s legal team. In the end, he was convicted of drug trafficking and an assortment of other crimes.
This time, Guzman’s prison stay didn’t last nearly as long as his first imprisonment. In fact, it was only 17 months before El Chapo escaped a Mexican prison for the second time. On July 11th, 2015, Guzman escaped through a tunnel that stretched one mile underground from a construction site to the shower of his prison cell. This tunnel was roughly 33 feet beneath the ground, was 67 inches tall, and 30 inches wide. It had air ducts, lighting, top-notch construction materials and a motorcycle.
After his second escape, Guzman was once again the subject of a massive manhunt that spanned numerous countries and agencies. During his evasion of authorities, Guzman even did an interview with actor Sean Penn for the Rolling Stone magazine. El Chapo boasted of his wealth and status as arguably the most successful drug lord of all-time. The US government certainly felt he was the biggest drug kingpin of all time as they have credited Guzman for transporting over 200 tons of cocaine into America. And that doesn’t include methamphetamines or other illegal substances that he shipped to the United States.
Unfortunately for El Chapo, his time as a free man didn’t last long. On January 8, 2016, Guzman was arrested once again. This time, Mexico agreed to extradite El Chapo to the United States. On January 19th, 2017, Guzman was sent packing to America where he faced a 17-count indictment. Trial began in November 2018, and he was found guilty on February 12, 2019.
Pop Culture Portrayals
As mentioned, El Chapo’s legend grew to heights rarely seen in the history of organized crime and drug trafficking. In fact, many people believe that he’s even more of a pop culture figure than Pablo Escobar. Both Guzman and Escobar’s rise to power in the drug cartels have recently been captured in the Netflix hit series Narcos. To date, this show has run for four seasons and has taken viewers on an epic rollercoaster ride of drugs, violence, and power throughout Colombia and Mexico.
With Guzman, Netflix didn’t stop at just one show. The streaming platform giant put out another series called El Chapo that specifically chronicles the rise of Guzman in the world of drug trafficking. Viewers who have watched both of Netflix’s shows can attest to the mythical proportions that El Chapo’s legend has grown to.
Will El Chapo Escape Prison Again?
For Guzman and his family, El Chapo’s magical prison escapes appear to have come to an end. He’s no longer in a Mexican prison where inmates, prison staff, and local authorities can help him escape. Furthermore, he’s far removed from fellow cartel members and his unlimited resources. If anyone ever had the wealth and resources to do attempt an escape from ADX Florence it certainly is El Chapo. Nevertheless, orchestrating an escape from this supermax prison is something only accomplished in Hollywood films.
Despite Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador calling El Chapo’s jail conditions inhumane, the ADX Florence prison is Guzman’s last stop on this journey. Unless his attorneys pull off one of the greatest legal miracles in the history of mankind, we will never see El Chapo’s face in public again. Well, that’s not entirely true because a clothing line called “El Chapo 701” is now invading the fashion world. This fashion line was created by Guzman’s daughter and it has his face on many articles of clothing.
For this prop bet, take the “No” option. Not only will Guzman not escape prison in by the end of 2020, he will never escape prison again.
Mexican drug lord Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias “El Chapo,” was once the head of Mexico’s most powerful organized crime group, the Sinaloa Cartel. His ability to simultaneously co-opt public officials, attack enemies’ strongholds, and find creative ways to get his drugs to market has made him a legend in the underworld.
Before his capture in February 2014, Guzmán was the most wanted man in the Western Hemisphere. He escaped once again from prison, crawling through a tunnel, on July 11, 2015, prompting a massive manhunt in Mexico. On January 8, 2016, President Enrique Peña Nieto said via Twitter that the government had re-arrested the fugitive Sinaloa Cartel leader. A little over one year later, on January 19, 2017, Mexican authorities announced his extradition in a communique issued less than 24 hours before Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th US President.
El Chapo’s reign came to an end once and for all on February 12, 2019, when a US jury found him guilty on all 10 counts included in the federal indictment against him, including leading an ongoing criminal enterprise, which carries a life sentence in federal US prison without the possibility of parole.
History
Born in a small farming community in Badiraguato, Sinaloa state, Guzmán spent his childhood shuttling oranges to the market. With his uncle’s help, he moved into contraband and later coordinated large shipments of marijuana and finally cocaine, in Sinaloa state and later to the United States. He may have little formal education, but he has a Ph.D. in drug trafficking. Guzmán is known as a pioneer in the trade, having essentially leased an airplane hangar in Mexico City’s principal airport for years, and led the way in constructing tunnels beneath the US-Mexico border.
El Chapo’s career has also been marked by infighting and bloodshed. He split from the core group of Guadalajara-based traffickers in the 1990s and began a bloody fight with the Tijuana Cartel, also known as the Arellano Felix Organization, which ran the lucrative Tijuana trafficking corridor. After an attempt on his life in 1993, Guzmán fled to Guatemala, where he was arrested by the authorities and deported back to Mexico. From jail, he continued plying his trade, with his brother, Arturo Guzmán Loera, alias “El Pollo,” managing the business. His cohorts from Sinaloa, Arturo and Hector Beltran Leyva, regularly brought him suitcases of cash so he could grease the wheels of power inside the prison and continue his opulent lifestyle, including specially prepared meals and conjugal visits from his wife, girlfriends and prostitutes. His friend, ally and relative by marriage, Juan Jose Esparragoza Moreno, alias “El Azul,” made sure that Guzmán’s product got to the United States without interference from his rivals.
El Chapo FactboxDOB: Unclear; some government agencies say 1954, others say 1957 Group: Sinaloa Cartel Criminal Activities: International drug trafficking, money laundering Status: In custody Area of Operation: Mexico |
Guzmán escaped prison in 2001, just as authorities were laying the groundwork for his extradition to the United States. He eluded capture for more than a decade by creating a sophisticated security system, allegedly basing himself in isolated, rural areas of Sinaloa and Durango.
While Chapo was on the run, there were a number of seeming close calls that later turned out be fabricated. In February 2012, Mexican authorities reported that they had come the closest ever to catching Guzmán. However, later reports indicated that the operation had never occurred, and that the false information may have been an effort to boost Calderon’s popularity in the run-up to the 2012 elections. In February 2013, authorities in Guatemala — the same country responsible for his jail stint in the 1990s — reported Guzmán’s possible death in a shootout, a report that was also found to be false. Numerous musicians have celebrated his ability to elude capture and undermine the authorities.
In the early hours of February 22, 2014, Guzmán was captured by Mexican Marines in a hotel in the Mexican beach resort city of Mazatlan. At the time of his arrest he was the most wanted criminal on the planet and had a $5 million reward on his head.
Despite pressure from US officials for his extradition nearly as soon as he was captured in February, tense US-Mexico relations have left in doubt whether the cartel boss will ever face justice in the United States.
On July 11, 2015, Mexico authorities reported that El Chapo has escaped from his maximum-security prison yet again. No laundry cart was reportedly involved this time, as was the case for his legendary escape in 2001. He apparently crawled through a tunnel that was 1.5 kilometers wide and led directly into his prison shower cell, according to reports. On January 8, 2016, Mexico’s president wrote on Twitter, “Mission accomplished: we have him. I would like to inform the Mexican people that Joaquin Guzmán Loera has been arrested.” On January 19, 2017, El Chapo was extradited to the United States, just hours before Donald Trump’s inauguration, in a move that spurred debate as to what message president Peña Nieto intended to send to the incoming US head of state.
After a three-month federal drug trafficking trial in the United States, El Chapo was found guilty in February 2019 on all 10 counts in the federal indictment against him including charges ranging from drug trafficking to money laundering and leading an ongoing criminal enterprise. He faces a mandatory minimum life sentence in federal US prison — likely in the so-called “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” or ADX Florence, the United States’ only supermax prison.
Criminal Activities
Before his arrest in 2014, Guzmán was widely considered the world’s biggest drug trafficker and among the most wanted criminals on the planet. With Chapo at the helm, the Sinaloa Cartel came to dominate the global cocaine market, and became a major player in the trafficking of heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana.
Guzmán’s immense fortune from drug trafficking — in 2009 he was included on the Forbes list of billionaires (he was later dropped from its rankings in 2013) — required a sophisticated money laundering system to legitimize the illicit funds.
Geography
Guzmán was allegedly based in rural parts of Sinaloa and Durango prior to his capture in 2014. However, while the drug lord was on the run rumors swirled that he was hiding out or operating in various countries, including Honduras, Argentina, Guatemala, Bolivia, and even the United States. Guzmán was eventually arrested in the beach resort city of Mazatlan, Sinaloa.
Guzmán’s Sinaloa Cartel is believed to have a presence in nearly every major city in the United States and Latin America. Within Mexico, the cartel is believed to operate in 17 states throughout the country.
Allies and Enemies
Under Guzmán’s watch, the Sinaloa Cartel waged a bloody turf war with its rival the Juarez Cartel during the mid-2000s for control of valuable drug trafficking routes near the US border. The Sinaloa Cartel emerged victorious, cementing its position as the foremost drug trafficking organization in Mexico.
Following a split with the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO) in 2008, the cartel forged alliances with former rivals the Gulf Cartel and the Familia Michoacana. However, both the Gulf Cartel and the Familia Michoacan are shadows of their former selves, with many of their leaders either killed or captured.
Guzmán created the hemisphere’s largest drug cartel with many of those who helped in prison, including Esparragoza and the Beltran Leyva brothers. Guzmán has also spent a significant amount of time and effort cultivating support among Mexicans, especially in rural areas where contraband and drug trafficking is a way of life.
Guzmán’s family is deeply involved in trafficking and his battles with his rivals cost him his brother, Arturo, who was killed in prison in 2004 while Guzmán carried on a dispute with the Zetas; his son, Edgar Guzmán Lopez, who was killed in May 2008 in Culiacan, Sinaloa, amidst Joquin’s dispute with his former allies, the Beltran Leyva Organization; his longtime girlfriend from his time in jail, Zulema Hernandez, who was found in the trunk of a car in 2008, strangled to death and with the letter “Z” carved into her body, presumably by rival group the Zetas.
The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the National Action Party (PAN) have long traded barbs, accusing each other of being beholden to Guzmán. The reality is that both may have factions allied to the trafficker, as do parts of the military and police throughout Mexico and other neighboring countries.
Prospects
Guzmán’s stunning second escape from a maximum-security prison in July 2015 sparked an immediate, massive manhunt for the Sinaloa Cartel head. There is widespread suspicion of high-level official collusion, and the government has come under intense pressure to recapture Guzmán quickly, which they did on January 8, 2016. After Chapo’s extradition to the United States in early 2017, speculation swirled about whether or not the former kingpin would testify during his own trial, he never did. El Chapo will spend the rest of his natural life in prison.
But this did not mark the end of the Sinaloa Cartel, and will unlikely have any significant impact on the criminal map in Mexico, as the group carries on with El Mayo and Guzmán’s sons at the top of the organization. El Chapo’s sons are effectively under the wing of El Mayo as he allegedly tries to reestablish order among the country’s criminal groups as Mexico’s last true remaining drug capo.
What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.
We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.
Latest News
El Chapo Life In Prison
An apparent battle between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Zetas in Tamaulipas is a bad omen for security in the…
Amid a wave of national and international criticism for his handling of the Culiacán meltdown last week, Mexican President Andrés…
A village in Sinaloa, Mexico was burned to the ground by armed men in an attack likely linked…
THE ORGANIZATIONStrategic Communications Manager Job Description
InSight Crime is looking for a full-time strategic communications manager. This person needs to be able to work in a fast-paced world of daily news, high-profile investigations, national and international…
THE ORGANIZATIONWe Have Updated Our Website
Welcome to our new home page. We have revamped the site to create a better display and reader experience.
THE ORGANIZATIONInSight Crime Events – Border Crime: The Northern Triangle and Tri-Border Area
Through several rounds of extensive field investigations, our researchers have analyzed and mapped out the main illicit economies and criminal groups present in 39 border departments spread across the six countries of study – the Northern Triangle trio of Guatemala, Honduras, and El…
BRIEFInSight Crime’s ‘Memo Fantasma’ Investigation Wins Simón Bolívar National Journalism Prize
The staff at InSight Crime was awarded the prestigious Simón Bolívar national journalism prize in Colombia for its two-year investigation into the drug trafficker known as “Memo Fantasma,” which was…
ANALYSISInSight Crime – From Uncovering Organized Crime to Finding What Works
This project began 10 years ago as an effort to address a problem: the lack of daily coverage, investigative stories and analysis of organized crime in the Americas. …
Stay Informed with InSight Weekly
El Chapo Prison Location
Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox.