"El Chapo" - the elusive drug lord who escaped from prison twice

"El Chapo" - the elusive drug lord who escaped from prison twice

Every year, a large amount of drugs enters the United States, because there is a high demand for them. Drugs are mainly produced in Colombia and other South American countries, and are brought to the United States through various routes through the Caribbean and Central America. The most important link in this logistics chain is the Mexican cartels. Our "hero" Joaquín Guzmán founded one of these drug cartels - "Sinaloa".

A child who grew up among drugs

Joaquín Guzmán was born in 1957 in a poor rural family in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. His family made a living selling oranges, and the future cartel leader was an assistant to the elders. Joaquín's father was a member of a local drug cartel and was also involved in the cultivation and sale of drugs. Soon, his father involved Joaquín in the cultivation of opium and cannabis, so that he could "continue his father's profession." This boy grew up in drugs from a young age.

In the 1980s, Joaquin joined the Guadalajara cartel of Miguel Gallardo, the "godfather" of Mexican drug lords. At first, he was a simple runner, but later, having gained trust, he headed the "responsible business" of transporting drugs produced in Colombia to the United States through Mexico.

Drug cartel leader

In 1989, Miguel Gallardo, the leader of the Guadalajara cartel, was arrested, and the gang split into several independent groups. Taking advantage of the situation, Joaquin, along with his associates and subordinates, founded the Sinaloa cartel. The leader of the gang, Joaquin Guzman, received the nickname "El Chapo", that is, the little one, because he was 168 cm tall.

In the 1990s, the Sinaloa cartel expanded its activities. Thanks to his resourcefulness, "El Chapo" introduced a number of innovations to the drug distribution industry. He builds secret underground tunnels with electrification, ventilation and rails under the border between Mexico and the United States. He uses submarines, planes, trains and trucks to smuggle cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana made in Colombia across the border.

By the 2000s, Sinaloa had become the largest drug cartel in Mexico, waging a brutal war against government forces, police and the military on the one hand, and competing cartels on the other. The gang has become a major criminal empire, supplying drugs to more than 50 countries around the world. Joaquín Guzmán's wealth exceeds a billion dollars. Forbes even includes him in its list of the world's billionaires. In 2009, the magazine ranked him 41st on its list of the richest people in the world, 55th in 2010 and 60th in 2011. At that time, he was the richest man in Mexico after Carlos Slim.