More Arrests In El Chapo Escape: A Total Of 20 People, Many Of Them Law Officials Themselves, Under Investigation
Mexican officials conducted more arrests in association with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s daring escape. Of the 20 people arrested so far, quite a few belong to law enforcement.
While it was apparent that El Chapo had help from the inside, the arrests merely indicate how big an undertaking it was to aid in the escape of the Mexican drug lord from one of the most secure prisons in the world.
In the latest series of arrests, Mexico has taken about 13 more people into custody in connection with the brazen escape of El Chapo. Needless to say, besides the arrest of four law enforcement officials, several of those arrested are associated with prison security. In all, about 20 officials have been arrested, including the former director of the high-security prison El Chapo escaped from and a government official who oversaw Mexico’s prisons, reported MSN.
Announcing about the arrest, Mexico’s attorney general’s office said in a statement that 13 people (11 men and two females), were arrested in connection with Guzman’s escape. However, no further details were shared. Nonetheless, a person familiar with the arrests indicated that Valentin Cardenas, the former director of the Altiplano prison in central Mexico, and Celina Oseguera, former director of Mexico’s federal prisons were among those arrested for aiding the escape of El Chapo.
Incidentally, both were removed from their positions shortly after El Chapo escaped, clearly indicating the Mexican government was well aware that he couldn’t have escaped without extensive help from prison officials. Joaquin Guzman has successfully bribed people and sought assistance from locals, police, and prison authorities. This isn’t the first time El Chapo has escaped the clutches of the law and embarrassed the Mexican government by slipping right beneath their noses. Needless to say, El Chapo’s daring escape was a severely humiliating blow to Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.
El Chapo escaped through an elaborate tunnel dug beneath the prison. It is apparent that the tunnel, which featured lighting, ventilation, and a rudimentary form of gasoline-powered transportation, couldn’t have been created without help from prison officials. The four officials arrested earlier this month included two intelligence service members and two prison control room employees.
Since El Chapo’s escape, there have been several rumors circulating about his whereabouts. He contributed to some of them by posting a picture on Twitter of himself with a man who appeared to be his father at a restaurant in Costa Rica. The drug lord has a $5 million bounty on his head.
[Image Credit | Ohan Ordonez / Getty Images]
