El Chapo (real name Joaquín Guzmán Loera) known as the world’s most wanted drug kingpin, has been captured today in Mexico. He been on the run for over a decade and his drug trafficking fortune is over $1 billion dollars! Read the report of the capture after the jump!
A massive operation that mushroomed through the western Mexican state of Sinaloa last week netted the world’s top drug lord, who was captured overnight by U.S. and Mexican authorities at a condominium in Mazatlan, officials from both countries said.
A senior U.S. law enforcement official said Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was taken alive by Mexican marines in the beach resort town. The official was not authorized to discuss the arrest and spoke on condition of anonymity. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto confirmed the arrest on his Twitter account Saturday afternoon.
Guzman, 56, was found with an unidentified woman, the official said, adding that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marshals Service were “heavily involved” in the capture. No shots were fired.
A legendary outlaw and fugitive, Guzman had been pursued for several weeks. His arrest came on the heels of the takedown of several top Sinaloa operatives in the last few months and at least 10 mid-level cartel members in the last week. The information leading to Guzman was gleaned from those arrested, said Michael S. Vigil, a former senior DEA official who was briefed on the operation.
