For over ten years, he would evade capture.
Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the notorious leader of the Sinaloa cartel, had been serving time since 1993 for charges of murder and drug trafficking.
While imprisoned, Guzman enjoyed a relatively comfortable existence. He reportedly had the luxury of ordering meals from a menu and managed his criminal operations with the help of a mobile phone.
However, the looming threat of extradition to the United States, where he faced additional charges, prompted Guzman to reconsider his situation. A life behind bars was not what he envisioned.
On January 19, 2001, Guzman made his bold escape. His cell door swung open, and, according to reports, he was smuggled out hidden in a laundry cart, aided by guards he had bribed.
Remarkably, it wasn’t until about half an hour before midnight that the prison warden was informed of Guzman’s escape, by which time the kingpin had already parted ways with his accomplices after sending them on an errand to fetch a bottle of water.
Guzman remained on the run for more than a decade, travelling throughout Mexico with a cadre of heavily armed guards.
He was known for making public appearances, including dining in well-packed restaurants, where his guards would confiscate the cell phones of all those present.
Supposedly, Guzman – a man believed to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of people – picked up the tab for all the customers on such occasions.
Recaptured in 2014, he escaped prison again via a tunnel dug from his cell, before authorities nabbed him again in 2016.
He was, as he originally feared, extradited to the US, where he was in 2019 found guilty of a number of criminal charges and sentenced to life in prison.
Thus far, he has not managed another escape.
