# Mexican Drug Cartel Kingpin Captured \[update\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 23, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991 "2014-02-23T01:47:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/1 "2014-02-23T01:47:18Z")
Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is now in prison. > **[Mexican Drug Cartel Kingpin Captured In Joint U.S.-Mexico Raid](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/02/22/281158669/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-in-joint-u-s-mexico-raid)** > > Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the head of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, was arrested in the Pacific coastal city of Mazatlan, according to officials. Historically, Mexican prisons have had a difficult time keeping these folks incarcerated. Others, with this much influence, in prison lacked no creature comforts. And he is (was) a huge part of the drug world. I don’t see much significance to this. He could still direct operations in prison. Although, he is wanted in the USA, I don’t see extradition as a possibility. If he doesn’t escape, how do you think this will pan out? ---
**Author:** ![Yellow\_Kazooie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecd19e/32.png) [@Yellow\_Kazooie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yellow_Kazooie)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/2 "2014-02-23T01:51:53Z")
I read about this on Reddit. It is good he got captured but yeah he won’t stay in jail for a long time, and even if he does, he can still “work” from prision. I am from Brazil and I know what it’s like. Prisioners here rule the prisions. It can’t be very different in Mexico ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/3 "2014-02-23T02:51:16Z")
Per the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago DEA head, Jack Riley, has said his office is going to seek extradition of El Chapo. He escaped last time while extradition proceedings were ongoing. Given the US was able to get Osiel Cardenas, head of the Gulf Cartel, extradited (and later sentenced to 25 years jn prison), I don’t think El Chapo will be staying in Mexico long. Not if the authorities want to keep him anyway. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/4 "2015-07-12T07:28:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has escaped from a maximum security prison for the second time, Mexico’s security commission said Saturday night. > > Guzman, who headed the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, was last seen in the area of the Altiplano prison’s showers, the commission said in a statement. > **[Notorious Mexican Drug Lord 'El Chapo' Escapes Prison for Second Time](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mexican-drug-lord-joaquin-el-chapo-guzman-escapes-prison-second-n390706)** > > Notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum security prison for the second time, Mexico's security commission said Saturday night. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/5 "2015-07-12T21:25:39Z")
When the big bosses are captured, doesn’t that just lead to the decentralization of the cartels? Is having a bunch of little gangs any better than having one big gang? (I’m a statist: I want there to be only one gang, and for it to be really, really big and powerful: the legitimate government.) ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/6 "2015-07-13T02:07:28Z")
He escaped through an “underground tunnel.” (Much more effective than open-air tunnels.) I wonder if he’ll flee to the coast of Maine? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/7 "2015-07-13T02:41:13Z")
> [@HelenGawn](#): > > He escaped through an “underground tunnel.” (Much more effective than open-air tunnels.) I wonder if he’ll flee to the coast of Maine? After finding a cactus that has no earthly business in a field in Michoacán. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/8 "2015-07-13T02:48:20Z")
Thread title modified to reflect updates to the original post and story. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/9 "2015-07-13T03:50:54Z")
In a way, all of us has an El Chapo to face. For some, shyness might be their El Chapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Chapo. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/10 "2015-07-13T11:58:09Z")
> [@HelenGawn](#): > > He escaped through an “underground tunnel.” (Much more effective than open-air tunnels.) I wonder if he’ll flee to the coast of Maine? Open air tunnels are so much easier to build, though. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/11 "2015-07-13T14:01:51Z")
> [@HelenGawn](#): > > He escaped through an “underground tunnel.” (Much more effective than open-air tunnels.) I wonder if he’ll flee to the coast of Maine? This made me chuckle. > [@Trinopus](#): > > When the big bosses are captured, doesn’t that just lead to the decentralization of the cartels? Is having a bunch of little gangs any better than having one big gang? Usually incarceration does very little to impede the operations of a well-organized gang. In most cases, phone calls “home” and visits from “family” allow the Big Man to communicate with his lieutenants. In others, they just get more creative; Aryan Brotherhood leader Barry Mills communicated with his underlings using a sort of invisible ink derived from urine, which he used to order the murder of a rival gang leader. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/12 "2015-07-13T14:08:20Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > In others, they just get more creative; Aryan Brotherhood leader Barry Mills communicated with his underlings using a sort of invisible ink derived from urine, which he used to order the murder of a rival gang leader. Our new friend, **hulang** , would love to hear about this. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/13 "2015-07-13T14:12:02Z")
Nah. Mills wasn’t dead yet. Or scared (presumably). Or female. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/14 "2015-07-13T14:28:13Z")
> [@HelenGawn](#): > > He escaped through an “underground tunnel.” A mile long, lighted, ventilated tunnel, with a motorcycle modified to run on a track. I doubt he did it on his own. Actually, I’m pretty interested in learning any details that come out on the construction of this thing. Did they work from both ends? Did they start at the abandoned house and somehow drive it directly to his cell? Did they start from his end and corrupt prison guards delivered a motorcycle to his cell? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/15 "2015-07-13T14:39:29Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Did they work from both ends? Did they start at the abandoned house and somehow drive it directly to his cell? Did they start from his end and corrupt prison guards delivered a motorcycle to his cell? Yes they started from the abandoned house and drove it directly to his cell. If he had been working on it there would have been one non-corrupt official who would have noticed it. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/16 "2015-07-13T14:53:52Z")
Every time I have seen a headline about this guy, I read it as “El Cheapo”. Makes it hard to take him seriously, although I understand he’s a bad dude. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/17 "2015-07-13T14:56:30Z")
If the US catches him, instead of sending him back to Mexico, I say send him to Seattle so the SR 99 tunnel can finally be done right. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/18 "2015-07-13T15:13:03Z")
How many places on the Internet give you the opportunity to pick up Stephen King and Three Amigos shoutouts in the same thread? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/19 "2015-07-13T15:51:13Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > If the US catches him, instead of sending him back to Mexico, I say send him to Seattle so the SR 99 tunnel can finally be done right. Now _there’s_ an idea! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991/20 "2015-10-17T08:46:46Z")
[On the run again!](http://www.nbcnews.com/news/mexico/el-chapo-run-mexican-drug-lord-has-leg-face-injuries-n445966) One can only wonder how many people he’s in connection with to help him escape. Imagine having your own “security forces”. 😃 > [@](#): > > Marines raided the ranch in helicopters, but were forced to turn back after taking fire from suspected Guzman security forces. The Marines later entered the camp on foot and discovered cell phones, medication and two-way radios, but Guzman and his accomplices are believed to have fled on ATVs." [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-drug-cartel-kingpin-captured-update/681991.md?page=2)