Mexican Drug Lord Escapes Again: Did Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman Have Help From The Inside?

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, Mexico’s most powerful drug lord, managed to escape the confines of the prison, again. This is the second time in 15 years that the drug lord has managed to escape the clutches of the law, which begs the question: Did he have help from the inside this time too?

The Mexican drug lord was first caught in Guatemala way back in 1993, when he was extradited and sentenced to 20 years in prison on drug-trafficking-related charges in Mexico. Though the details about how he escaped still remain sketchy, it was strongly believed he had heavily bribed multiple authorities to facilitate his getaway. This time around, the prison authorities discovered a 1.5-kilometer (1 mile) tunnel from a small opening in the shower area of his cell that the Mexican drug lord used to escape.

Building long snaking tunnels is a specialty of Guzman and his associates. His cartel has built elaborate tunnels underneath the Mexico-U.S. border to transport cocaine, methamphetamines, and marijuana. Quite a few tunnels have been known to have ventilation, lighting, and even railcars to easily move products, reported MSN. This particular tunnel used by Guzman ended at a half-built house in a rural farm field near the prison, shared the authorities. Guzman is believed to have lowered himself using a ladder into a hole that was 10 meters deep. This hole led Guzman to a subterranean tunnel. The passageway was about 1.7 meters high and was fully ventilated to allow Guzman a comfortable escape without the risk of suffocation.

Considering the efforts that have gone into building such an elaborate escape tunnel, it is difficult to believe that no prison guard noticed it. However, the tunnel is said to have been neatly camouflaged with large open ditches and lots of metal drainage pipes.

This Mexican drug lord’s second successful escape is a painful slap in former Mexican Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam’s face. Despite the drug lord having exposed the gaping cracks and lax security, Karam had dismissed concerns that Guzman could escape a second time. That risk “does not exist,” he had said confidently, reported the Associated Press.

With an estimated fortune of more than a billion American dollars, bribing generously came easy for Guzman. He is said to have generously lathered up local residents and authorities who in turn tipped him well in advance about an impending raid. Multiple attempts of his capture have proved futile owing to his generous ways. Though money might have changed hands this time as well, neither the escaped Mexican drug lord nor the law enforcement officials are admitting it.

[Image Credit | Getty Images]