How El Chapo’s People Worked To Bring Him Down

Joaquin El Chapo Guzman is one of the most ambitious drug lords in the world. With a net worth of about a billion dollars, according to Forbes, he is said to have a considerable amount of infrastructure related to the trade. Currently in his 60s, he has, over the years, formed new trade alliances both in Mexico and the United States to strengthen the Sinaloa Cartel’s sphere of influence.

However, as with any trade, rivalries are inevitable and presently, there has been speculation that El Chapo was in recent times betrayed by people in his organization and those dealing with him, consequently leading to his downfall. A couple of years back, for example, Pedro and Margarito Flores — dealers in the United States — snitched on El Chapo. This was in 2008.

The following is an excerpt of the report.

“Pedro did the talking, convincing Guzman to drop the price on a freshly delivered shipment of heroin and also arranging a new deal that would bring about 40 kilograms a month of the cartel’s narcotics into the Chicago area, court records show. Half an hour later, Flores’ cellphone rang again. El Chapo handed his phone to an underling who gave instructions on how and where to make the $1 million cash payment.

“What Guzman couldn’t have fathomed was that U.S. federal agents were listening in on the calls that night. The heroin had been picked up in Chicago by an undercover officer posing as a courier. The Flores brothers had flipped.”

This is as reported by Borderland Beat.

The brothers are said to have offered information that led to the indictment of El Chapo and 50 other cartel operatives. On why they betrayed El Chapo, they were facing life imprisonment for drug trafficking related charges and cut a deal with American authorities to get shorter sentences. As a result, they would potentially be released in six years.

On betrayals within El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who is El Chapo’s equal in the organization, is also said to currently be at odds with the infamous drug lord and may have helped tip authorities on his whereabouts or contributed to that in some indirect way.

According to Roberto Saviano, the renowned author of the Italian mafia book, called Gomorrah, intercepted messages between El Chapo Guzman and El Mayo in a recent conversation point to fractures in the Sinaloa cartel and indicated that the latter was no longer going to protect the former. It is alleged that in one of the messages, El Mayo asked El Chapo to cede leadership to the younger generation, saying that if he didn’t, they could seize leadership by force. The following was the exact message.

“If we don’t do it, if we don’t give them control, they will take it on their own terms and at their own risk.”

The author also speculated that El Chapo’s confidence in relation to visiting his wife and daughters while still a fugitive was an indication that someone was protecting him, with El Mayo being the most obvious figure. This was while referring to El Chapo’s capture in 2014, in which he was found staying with his wife and children.

Looking at their current relationship, the two, who are believed to be the top bosses of the Sinaloa cartel, are said to be protecting their territories against one another and it is believed that certain areas controlled by El Mayo are no longer open to El Chapo’s subordinates. And they include Choix, Guasave, El Fuerte, and Ahome.

According to Guzmán Ortiz, El Chapo’s alleged daughter, El Mayo betrayed him. The following was her statement, as reported by Mexico News Daily.

“We’re completely sure El Mayo betrayed him. They used to always meet in private places and my dad found it strange that he had suggested that place.”

This was after El Chapo’s capture in January this year.

[Photo by AP Photo/Marco Ugarte]