Who Was El Chapo? The Rise and Fall of a Drug Kingpin
Who Was El Chapo? Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera was a Mexican drug lord who led the Sinaloa Cartel, smuggling vast amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl into the US. Known for his dramatic prison escapes, he used submarines and tunnels for smuggling. Captured in 2016, he’s serving a life sentence, while his sons continue the cartel’s operations.
Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera
Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Lopez, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Lopez — three sons of Guzman Loera — have been charged with federal drug trafficking violations. According to the Justice Department, they were heavily involved with their father’s cartel operations as well as using corrupt government officials such as prison guards, state officials and members of the armed forces for illicit purposes.
At trial, a computer expert testified that Guzman and his associates utilized an encrypted communications network to run their global narcotics business. This allowed them to safely communicate among each other without fear of interception from law enforcement or rival cartels.
El Chapo is currently serving a life sentence at a maximum security prison in Mexico after his extradition to the US in 2017. After his extradition, his four sons took over his drug empire and became some of the primary exporters of fentanyl into America. According to US government authorities, Zambada is cooperating with authorities in targeting many high-ranking members of El Chapo’s cartel.
Son Joaquin Guzman Lopez
Joaquin Guzman Lopez appears to have joined his father’s drug trade early, dropping out of school as early as third grade to help her sell baked goods door to door and at town meetings, as reported by investigative journalist Phoebe Eaton in 2019.
Los Chapitos,” as they’re commonly known, took over their father’s Sinaloa cartel faction after his arrest and are accused of trafficking vast quantities of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine into the United States. Additionally, the US indictment against them alleges they orchestrated an unprecedented shipment of deadly fentanyl into our country.
Sons of Zambada have been linked with thousands of overdose deaths across the United States and have gained fame under their father’s shrewd operations, becoming known by nicknames such as “El Mayo” and “El Toro.” Arresting Zambada could create power vacuums which lead to violence as rival cartel leaders attempt to fill that void left by Zambada’s arrest.
El Chapo Wife Emma Coronel Aispuro
Emma Coronel Aispuro was a former beauty queen who married El Chapo on her 18th birthday and helped run his cartel. She plead guilty to helping smuggle drugs into America while agreeing to turn over over $1.5 million of illegal funds; therefore she received a three-year sentence which was reduced by half when sentencing occurred on September 13, 2023 by the US Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Emma wasn’t considered the architect behind her husband’s drug empire, but according to prosecutors she played an essential role in moving hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin into the US from Mexico. On Wednesday she was released from a low-security facility in California.
After her husband’s 2015 tunnel escape, she made efforts to establish herself within the narrative by registering a clothing line and opening an Instagram account; additionally she regularly attended his trial in Brooklyn where he gave emotional testimony before an attentive media.
El Chapo Escapes
El Chapo’s remarkable rise to power was interwoven with his extraordinary escapes from law enforcement agencies. He holds the distinction of having twice managed to avoid maximum security prisons – earning him an unrivalled place among drug barons worldwide.
El Chapo used GPS technology and his associates dug a mile-long tunnel under Altiplano prison cell, equipped with ventilation and lighting, that connected directly with an outside warehouse construction site – with this plan apparently devised on a weekend when there were less chances for prison officials to be around.
Mexico wants El Chapo back behind bars, but experts warn of an increased risk of violence if it pursues him too aggressively, experts note. Doing so would destabilize El Chapo’s cartel’s areas of influence and open them up to potential rivals. “If the state strikes out against Sinaloa without any consideration or planning,” warns Felbab-Brown, it “will create an endless cycle of more violence”.
El Chapo Trial
Since November 1st, a tightly secured federal courthouse in Brooklyn has been holding El Chapo‘s trial. His case has produced stunning revelations day by day – from murderous acts to soap opera-esque drama.
An important witness, an informant from Mexico Army Special Forces who saw Chapo personally torturing and murdering at least three people, as well as admitting his cocaine addiction by snorting up to four grams a day.
Witnesses described Guzman as being lavishly extravagant, spending millions on expensive gold-plated AK-47s and diamond-encrusted pistols – not to mention attacking his family – Witness Jesus Zambada testified that Guzman ordered him to slit his mother’s throat in front of his brothers and sister before attacking the police officer who served her the warrant for that crime.
I’m Pradeep Ahalawat, the founder and chief writer of this blog. (Holding the degree of M.Sc. IT with more than 15 years of expereince in IT sector) With a passion for storytelling and a keen interest in current affairs, I started this platform to share my perspectives on the issues that matter most to us.
