5 Things You Must Know About World's Most Notorious Drug Dealer, El Chapo

Piece by: Kwarula Otieno
Lifestyle

Six months after his shocking escape from Altiplano prison in Mexico, the World’s most wanted drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman Loera is back in custody after he was captured alive in a raid on a motel in Los Mochis, Mexico, located in his home state of Sinaloa.

There are people who even referred to El Chapo as a hero for breaking out of prison. But do you know the guy? Here are five things you should definitely know about the Mexican drug lord.

1. The Name 'El Chapo' is a nickname.

It’s a Spanish nickname for “Shorty.” The diminutive cartel leader is only 5′ 6″ tall.

2. He’s the most powerful drug lord in Mexico.

As head of the Sinaloa Cowboys – Mexico’s most dominant drug cartel – his organization smuggles multi-ton cocaine shipments from Colombia through Mexico and into the United States by air, sea and road, and has distribution cells throughout the U.S. They’ve also expanded their drug exports to Southeast Asia in recent years.

3. His status as the Sinaloa cartel leader made him world-famous and rich.

Each year from 2009 to 2011 magazine ranked El Chapo as one of the most powerful people in the world, ranking 41st, 60th, and 55th respectively, thus, he was the second most powerful man in Mexico, just after business tycoon Carlos Slim, who’s worth over $70 billion. In 2013, the magazine estimated El Chapo’s net worth to be over $4 billion.

4. He’s responsible for thousands of murders.

El Chapo has claimed to have directly or indirectly caused the deaths of thousands of people. The Sinaloa cartel is known to be the most ruthless crime organization in Mexico.

5. He’s known for his amazing prison breakouts.

He was jailed in 2001 but managed to escape — possibly with the help of bribed guards — through either a laundry cart or dressing as a woman. After 13 years on the run, he was finally arrested in Feb 2014, but managed to break out of a maximum-security prison in July 2015, through a secret shower hatch that led to a 1-mile tunnel, leading from his cell to a piece of property outside of the prison grounds. It was complete with lighting, ventilation ducts, and a waiting motorcycle to take him the distance.