CBS/AP: Responding to what was seen as one of the biggest embarrassments of his administration - Guzman's July 11 escape through a tunnel from Mexico's highest-security prison - Pena Nieto wrote in his Twitter account on Friday: "mission accomplished: we have him."
Benjamin Bergman, a spokesman for the Mexican marines, said El Chapo was rearrested after a shootout with Mexican marines in the city of Los Mochis, in Guzman's home state of Sinaloa early Friday. He said Guzman was in "good condition."
Five people have been killed and one Mexican marine wounded in the clash. The Mexican Navy said in a statement that marines acting on a tip raided a home in the town of Los Mochis before dawn. They were fired on from inside the structure. Five suspects were killed and six others arrested. The marine's injuries were not life threatening. Read more.
The MexicoBlog of the Americas Program, a fiscally sponsored program of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), is written by Laura Carlsen. I monitor and analyze international press on Mexico, with a focus on security, immigration, human rights and social movements for peace and justice, from a feminist perspective. And sometimes I simply muse.
Showing posts with label El Chapo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label El Chapo. Show all posts
Jan 14, 2016
Nov 6, 2015
Chapo Guzman sends flowers to Jardines de Humaya cemetery
Proceso (Translated by Borderland Beat): A floral arrangement with about 70 red roses, was seen Monday November 2 in the Jardines de Humaya cemetery in Culiacan, Sinaloa.
An all capital written message in dark letters surrounding the floral arrangement reads, "FROM: JOAQUIN GUZMAN LOERA, TO: PERRILLO.
An all capital written message in dark letters surrounding the floral arrangement reads, "FROM: JOAQUIN GUZMAN LOERA, TO: PERRILLO.
Oct 22, 2015
Six people arrested in Mexico over escape of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman
The Guardian: Six people believed responsible for the escape from prison of drug baron Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, including his brother-in-law and the suspected mastermind of the jail break, have been arrested, Mexican authorities have said.
Attorney general Arely Gomez said the alleged mastermind of the operation is a member of Guzman’s legal team who had access to the prison near Mexico City from which Guzman escaped via a tunnel in July. Read more.
Attorney general Arely Gomez said the alleged mastermind of the operation is a member of Guzman’s legal team who had access to the prison near Mexico City from which Guzman escaped via a tunnel in July. Read more.
Sep 10, 2015
'El Chapo' Guzman escape: Mexican prison officials charged
BBC: Four Mexican officials have been charged with aiding the escape of the notorious drugs lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman from a maximum security prison.
Two are members of Mexico's secret service who were based at the prison. The others were control room employees who should have monitored his cell.
Aug 19, 2015
Recriminations Over El Chapo's Escape Cast Pall Over U.S.-Mexico Ties
El Universal (Translated by WorldMeets): Since escaping from the "maximum security" prison in Altiplano, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman has managed to strain relations between Mexico and the United States.
Migration, of course, is not being affected, nor is the billions of dollars in daily bilateral trade. Those are running in the other direction.
But meetings between officials from both countries have been marked by a more prickly tone than usual. Hints of suspicion and mistrust and mutual recriminations have appeared during rounds of talks about which only the noblest face has been publicly reported: two countries cooperating on the intelligence to capture the world's most powerful kingpin. Read more.
Migration, of course, is not being affected, nor is the billions of dollars in daily bilateral trade. Those are running in the other direction.
But meetings between officials from both countries have been marked by a more prickly tone than usual. Hints of suspicion and mistrust and mutual recriminations have appeared during rounds of talks about which only the noblest face has been publicly reported: two countries cooperating on the intelligence to capture the world's most powerful kingpin. Read more.
Aug 12, 2015
Sinaloa Cartel Boss Smuggled Drugs from Mexico into U.S. Using Various Means
Note: It seems strange that we have these US court filings on El Chapo only now that they do NOT have him in custody. There are still a lot of questions about whether the US ever requested extradition while El Chapo was being held and just exactly what the government's relationship with the Sinaloa Cartel is.
Latin American Herald Tribune: Fugitive Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” (Shorty) Guzman used planes, submarines, trains, sailboats and tunnels to smuggle narcotics from Mexico into the United States, court filings show.
The man who became public enemy No. 1 in the United States after the death of terrorist Osama Bin Laden escaped from a Mexican prison a month ago and the Obama administration has repeatedly said it would like to extradite and try the drug lord. Read more.
Latin American Herald Tribune: Fugitive Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” (Shorty) Guzman used planes, submarines, trains, sailboats and tunnels to smuggle narcotics from Mexico into the United States, court filings show.
The man who became public enemy No. 1 in the United States after the death of terrorist Osama Bin Laden escaped from a Mexican prison a month ago and the Obama administration has repeatedly said it would like to extradite and try the drug lord. Read more.
Aug 10, 2015
Sinaloa Cartel Grew More Powerful During Chapo’s Prison Stay
Latin American Herald Tribune: The Sinaloa drug cartel became more powerful during kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” (Shorty) Guzman’s most recent 17-month prison stay, Mexico City daily El Universal reported, citing information obtained from the Mexican Attorney General’s Office.
Guzman was captured on Feb. 22, 2014, in Mazatlan, a Pacific coast city in the northwestern state of Sinaloa, and imprisoned at the Altiplano I maximum-security penitentiary until he escaped on July 11 of this year through a 1.5-kilometer (0.9-mile) underground tunnel that led from his cell to a deserted building. Read more.
Guzman was captured on Feb. 22, 2014, in Mazatlan, a Pacific coast city in the northwestern state of Sinaloa, and imprisoned at the Altiplano I maximum-security penitentiary until he escaped on July 11 of this year through a 1.5-kilometer (0.9-mile) underground tunnel that led from his cell to a deserted building. Read more.
Jul 22, 2015
‘There's No Real Fight Against Drugs’
The Atlantic: The slight man at the breakfast table seemed more like an evangelical minister than someone who once brokered deals between Mexican drug lords and state governors. He wore a meticulously pressed button-down, a gold watch, gold-rimmed glasses, and a gold cross around his neck. His dark brown hair was styled in a comb-over. And when his breakfast companions started to tuck into their bowls of oatmeal and plates of salmon benedict, he cleared his throat and asked for a moment of silence.
“Would you mind if I say grace?” he asked.
The gathering last week at Le Peep café in San Antonio would seem unusual almost anywhere except south Texas, where Mexico kind of blends into the United States—and so does the drug trade. Seated next to the cartel operative was a senior Mexican intelligence official. And next to him was a veteran American counternarcotics agent. They bowed their heads for prayer and then proceeded to talk a peculiar kind of shop. Read more.
“Would you mind if I say grace?” he asked.
The gathering last week at Le Peep café in San Antonio would seem unusual almost anywhere except south Texas, where Mexico kind of blends into the United States—and so does the drug trade. Seated next to the cartel operative was a senior Mexican intelligence official. And next to him was a veteran American counternarcotics agent. They bowed their heads for prayer and then proceeded to talk a peculiar kind of shop. Read more.
Jul 20, 2015
Mexico arrests seven officials over escape of drug kingpin
Reuters: The Mexican Attorney General's office said on Friday it had arrested seven officials over suspected involvement in the jail break of drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
Guzman's escape last Saturday from a maximum security prison through a mile-long tunnel built into his cell was a profound embarrassment for President Enrique Peña Nieto, raising pressure on the government to do more to battle public sector corruption. Read more.
Guzman's escape last Saturday from a maximum security prison through a mile-long tunnel built into his cell was a profound embarrassment for President Enrique Peña Nieto, raising pressure on the government to do more to battle public sector corruption. Read more.
Feb 23, 2015
Life after El Chapo: kingpin's arrest spells new era in Mexican drug war
The Guardian: The fortune-teller smiled as she gazed out towards the distant peaks of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range.
“The mountains are glowing red and it will be a good harvest,” she predicted. The forecast was not based on second sight, however, but on conversations with local farmers looking forward to a bumper crop of marijuana – and the cash bonanza it will bring. Read more.
“The mountains are glowing red and it will be a good harvest,” she predicted. The forecast was not based on second sight, however, but on conversations with local farmers looking forward to a bumper crop of marijuana – and the cash bonanza it will bring. Read more.
Jan 28, 2015
Twins who became 'significant rats' to cartel await sentence
AP: In the underworld of illegal drug trafficking, identical twins Pedro and Margarito Flores rose from middling Chicago dealers to partners of Mexico's most notorious cartel lord, eventually building a nearly $2 billion franchise that spanned much of North America.
Anyone convicted of trafficking a fraction as much cocaine and heroin could normally expect a life sentence. But the twins can enter their sentencing hearing Tuesday confident of receiving far less. Because they spilled secrets that led to the indictments of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, a half-dozen of his lieutenants and about 40 lower-level traffickers, prosecutors are asking for a remarkably lenient term — around 10 years. Read more.
Anyone convicted of trafficking a fraction as much cocaine and heroin could normally expect a life sentence. But the twins can enter their sentencing hearing Tuesday confident of receiving far less. Because they spilled secrets that led to the indictments of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, a half-dozen of his lieutenants and about 40 lower-level traffickers, prosecutors are asking for a remarkably lenient term — around 10 years. Read more.
Feb 27, 2014
El Chapo's Capture Will Help Restore Mexico's Reputation (Milenio, Mexico)*
*This article, translated by our friends at WorldMeetsUs, views the capture in a positive light as a blow against impunity. Curiously, at the same time the author notes that 'unleashing violence' is a probably outcome of the capture. Again, we have different opinions based on different perspectives--the most positive tend to emphasize the improvement in the image of the Peña Nieto government--breaking the commonly held ideas that the government favored the Sinaloa Cartel and that the PRI would negotiate with cartels. The more negative perspective, like ours, fear for the repercussions in public safety and likely ineffectiveness in terms of eliminating organized crime activity.
Milenio
Translated by WorldMeetsUs
February 25, 2014
It must be said: The capture of El Chapo Guzman is an undeniable achievement of Enrique Peña Nieto's government. It is a success no matter how one looks at it. It was a success for the armed forces, for the way the information is handled, and in terms of the operational effectiveness and perseverance in achieving a single goal: to stop and imprison the most wanted drug trafficker in the world.
Independent of the undeniable and justifiable satisfaction that the government feels, Mexicans, too, must be satisfied with the government's performance in this regard. The capture of the legendary narco is a down payment in the fight against crime and impunity.
The operation to arrest him reflects well on the professionalism of specialized corps of the Marines and Army. No longer need we imagine surgical operations as an element of quirky movies or the capabilities of forces in other countries. In Mexico there are institutions that function properly, and the successes of operations against crime, whether government run or not, should give us all some peace of mind and boost our sense of confidence.
Milenio
Translated by WorldMeetsUs
February 25, 2014
Independent of the undeniable and justifiable satisfaction that the government feels, Mexicans, too, must be satisfied with the government's performance in this regard. The capture of the legendary narco is a down payment in the fight against crime and impunity.
The operation to arrest him reflects well on the professionalism of specialized corps of the Marines and Army. No longer need we imagine surgical operations as an element of quirky movies or the capabilities of forces in other countries. In Mexico there are institutions that function properly, and the successes of operations against crime, whether government run or not, should give us all some peace of mind and boost our sense of confidence.
Jun 23, 2012
Oops! DEA and Mexican Authorities Admit Man Arrested is Not "Little Chapo"
On June 22 we posted a story that was all over the news in Mexican and U.S. sources, regarding the Mexican Navy's triumphant claim to have captured the son of "Most Wanted" drug kingpin, Joaquin Guzman "El Chapo". The announcement stated that the alleged son named Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar-- a wanted criminal in his own right--was nabbed thanks to U.S. intelligence in a wealthy neighborhood in Guadalajara.
Turns out it the announcement was wrong. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) came out with the announcement, forcing the Mexican government to eat its words--an act that causes severe indigestion, especially eating words right before elections--in this statement from the Federal Attorney General's Office:
“The past June 21 elements of the Ministry of the Navy presented two persons, one of which they considered could be Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar (…) after carrying out the necessary tests for identity, we have determined that the individuals presented are Félix Beltrán León and Kevin Daniel Beltrán Ríos, 23 and 19 years of age, respectively.”
Representatives from both governments did some very public back patting before having to own up to the error. Rusty Payne of the DEA called the capture "a victory in the battle against drug traffickers throughout the world" and congratulated the Mexican government.
The Mexican and U.S. governments have been looking for a way to bolster the shared drug war before the presidential elections July 1. President Felipe Calderon's party runs a distant third in the polls, partly due to the political cost of the war on drugs that has sparked widespread violence that has taken the lives of more than 50,000 people in the country, with tens of thousands more disappeared. The bust of the son of El Chapo was just the break they could use to tell a skeptical public that the governments are making headway in the war on organized crime. When it became known it was false, skepticism deepened.
The families of the two young men detained are demanding justice, stating that they fear their sons are the victims of a media stunt by the Federal Government. The governments, incredibly, after admitting their mistake still insist that the arrest of the two young men is a serious blow to organized crime--indicating that the families' contentions that their sons are being railroaded have some merit in the presumption of guilt.
The mainstream media is trying to spin its way out of the confusion sowed by the false claims. This McClatchy article reports on the mistake and then bends over backwards to assert out of nowhere,
The case of mistaken identity just weeks before the presidential elections made "Confirma la DEA" (the DEA confirms) the instant favorite hashtag among Mexican tweeters. A sample of the hundreds of tweets under tag include: "The DEA confirms... El Chapo is laughing his head off at 'government intelligence'", "The DEA confirms... El Chapo has almost as many illegitimate children as Peña Nieto" , "The DEA confirms... the Mexican authorities are idiots", "The DEA confirms... I am REALLY hungry", etc.
Laura Carlsen
Turns out it the announcement was wrong. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) came out with the announcement, forcing the Mexican government to eat its words--an act that causes severe indigestion, especially eating words right before elections--in this statement from the Federal Attorney General's Office:
“The past June 21 elements of the Ministry of the Navy presented two persons, one of which they considered could be Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar (…) after carrying out the necessary tests for identity, we have determined that the individuals presented are Félix Beltrán León and Kevin Daniel Beltrán Ríos, 23 and 19 years of age, respectively.”
Representatives from both governments did some very public back patting before having to own up to the error. Rusty Payne of the DEA called the capture "a victory in the battle against drug traffickers throughout the world" and congratulated the Mexican government.
The Mexican and U.S. governments have been looking for a way to bolster the shared drug war before the presidential elections July 1. President Felipe Calderon's party runs a distant third in the polls, partly due to the political cost of the war on drugs that has sparked widespread violence that has taken the lives of more than 50,000 people in the country, with tens of thousands more disappeared. The bust of the son of El Chapo was just the break they could use to tell a skeptical public that the governments are making headway in the war on organized crime. When it became known it was false, skepticism deepened.
The families of the two young men detained are demanding justice, stating that they fear their sons are the victims of a media stunt by the Federal Government. The governments, incredibly, after admitting their mistake still insist that the arrest of the two young men is a serious blow to organized crime--indicating that the families' contentions that their sons are being railroaded have some merit in the presumption of guilt.
The mainstream media is trying to spin its way out of the confusion sowed by the false claims. This McClatchy article reports on the mistake and then bends over backwards to assert out of nowhere,
While the latest arrest remained a puzzle, it’s clear that U.S. and Mexican authorities are tightening a noose around Guzman and his family.The only proof offered for this supposedly "clear" factoid, is that arrest orders have been issued for Guzman's other sons and that El Chapo was "nearly captured" in Los Cabos last February. As we reported here, the near capture (he apparently escaped through the basement door of a private residence) looked more like another case of El Chapo thumbing his nose (or winking his eye) at authorities, since it took place in Los Cabos when the entire area was heavily militarized due the visit of Hillary Clinton and other foreign ministers for a run-up meeting to the G20 summit.
The case of mistaken identity just weeks before the presidential elections made "Confirma la DEA" (the DEA confirms) the instant favorite hashtag among Mexican tweeters. A sample of the hundreds of tweets under tag include: "The DEA confirms... El Chapo is laughing his head off at 'government intelligence'", "The DEA confirms... El Chapo has almost as many illegitimate children as Peña Nieto" , "The DEA confirms... the Mexican authorities are idiots", "The DEA confirms... I am REALLY hungry", etc.
Laura Carlsen
May 9, 2012
Sons Of Sinaloa Cartel Leader 'El Chapo' Guzman Targeted
Huffington Post The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions Tuesday against two sons of Sinaloa cartel drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico said the Treasury Department designated Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Ovidio Guzman Lopez under Kingpin Act, which prohibits people in the U.S. from conducting businesses with them and freezes their U.S. assets. El Chapo Guzman was put on the list in 2001.
The department said Ovidio Guzman Lopez plays a significant role in his father's drug trafficking activities, and that Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar was detained on money laundering charges in Mexico in 2005, but was later released. read more
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico said the Treasury Department designated Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Ovidio Guzman Lopez under Kingpin Act, which prohibits people in the U.S. from conducting businesses with them and freezes their U.S. assets. El Chapo Guzman was put on the list in 2001.
The department said Ovidio Guzman Lopez plays a significant role in his father's drug trafficking activities, and that Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar was detained on money laundering charges in Mexico in 2005, but was later released. read more
Mar 13, 2012
Drug War: Mexico drug lord's fate is focus of election year speculation
Chicago Tribune: "Reporting from Mexico City— A tantalizing question is spicing up talk shows and opinion columns as Mexican voters prepare to elect a new president: Will the government spring a "June surprise" by finally nabbing Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman?
Guzman, you might recall, is the world's most wanted drug suspect — on the lam since escaping a Mexican federal prison in a laundry cart in 2001. He allegedly sits atop a vast crime network reaching into the United States and across much of the globe, and is ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the world's richest men."
In other words, Guzman would be a sweet trophy for President Felipe Calderon, who could use a big score before voters head to the polls July 1.
Calderon's conservative National Action Party, or PAN, and its presidential candidate, Josefina Vazquez Mota, trail in the polls, even though formal campaigning hasn't begun yet. Far ahead is Enrique Peña Nieto, a former governor who hopes to guide the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, back into power after 12 years on the sidelines." read more
Guzman, you might recall, is the world's most wanted drug suspect — on the lam since escaping a Mexican federal prison in a laundry cart in 2001. He allegedly sits atop a vast crime network reaching into the United States and across much of the globe, and is ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the world's richest men."
In other words, Guzman would be a sweet trophy for President Felipe Calderon, who could use a big score before voters head to the polls July 1.
Calderon's conservative National Action Party, or PAN, and its presidential candidate, Josefina Vazquez Mota, trail in the polls, even though formal campaigning hasn't begun yet. Far ahead is Enrique Peña Nieto, a former governor who hopes to guide the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, back into power after 12 years on the sidelines." read more
Jun 3, 2011
Whack-a-mole Drug War: Druglord 'El Chapo' Moves Operations to Argentina: Reports
From the website, Insight - Organized Crime in the Americas: just can't seem to catch the biggest drug mole of them all, El Chapo.
Quoting an anonymous source in the Argentine government, Noticias Argentinas said that Guzman began living in the country with his wife and stepdaughter in 2010. The fugitive only moved on early this year after being alerted that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was pursuing an arrest order, according to the report, traveling to Paraguay, Colombia, and then Europe."
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