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In addition to Mexican marines, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S Marshals were involved in Friday’s recapturing of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, a senior Mexican police source said according to Reuters.
The detention of the infamous drug boss was confirmed by Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Peña Nieto, who had been under fire for El Chapo’s daring escape from a maximum security jail in July 11, made the announcement on his Twitter account.
Newsletter
Misión cumplida: lo tenemos. Quiero informar a los mexicanos que Joaquín Guzmán Loera ha sido detenido.
— Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN)
enero 8, 2016
“Mission accomplished: we have him. I want to tell Mexicans that we have detained Joaquin Guzman Loera.”
According to a release from Mexican officials, a clash broke out at dawn when the navy "carried out an operation in a home" in the Sinaloa city of Los Mochis. Five were killed and six were arrested during the shootout with soldiers.
The notorious Sinaloa drug cartel leader had been on the run since making the spectacular jailbreak through an underground, mile-long tunnel. In those days, Peña Nieto called a "mockery and challenge" the escape of “El Chapo,” while he was on a trip to the U.K.
Latest footage: El Chapo has been recaptured by Mexican forces, the DEA and US marshals pic.twitter.com/ZmKom5CasT
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)
enero 8, 2016
El Chapo is considered one of the world’s most dangerous, richest and powerful drug traffickers, he faces multiple federal drug trafficking charges in both the U.S. and Mexico and is also wanted by Interpol.
The arrest comes as Peña Nieto’s administration faces one of its darkest moments with several allegations of corruption and human rights violations and a stagnant economy; the local currency, the Mexican peso, fell to a record low against the dollar Friday.
DEA is extremely pleased at the capture of Chapo Guzman. We congratulate the MX Government and salute the bravery involved in his capture
— DEA News (@DEANEWS)
enero 8, 2016
Timeline of the Evasive Drug Lord
In June 1991 El Chapo was arrested in Mexico City by the judicial police, but managed to escape after giving a US$100,000 bribe to the then-police chief of the capital, Santiago Tapia Aceves.
On June 9, 1993, he was captured near the border of Chiapas with Guatemala.
On Nov. 22, 1995, he was transferred to the maximum security prison in Puente Grande, Jalisco.
On Jan. 19, 2001, he escaped from prison in Puente Grande. He was released from prison hidden in a laundry cart.
Between Feb. 13-17, 2014, the attorney general’s office located seven houses where he used to stay. Then-Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam said the homes were connected by tunnels and drainage networks, through which the trafficker managed to escape. Feb. 22, 2014, at 6:40 a.m., the navy recaptured him in Mazatlan.
Then, July 12, 2015, he escaped again.
On Jan. 8, 2016, President Peña Nieto reports via Twitter that Guzman has been captured.
