Mexico recaptures fugitive drug kingpin El Chapo

“Finding, following and recapturing him was the result of prolonged efforts by our intelligence, security and justice services. by Mao Pengfei, Chris Dalby The Mexican government Friday recapured the most wanted man in the world, Joaquin Guzman Loera, at the town of Los Mochis in Mexico’s northwestern state of Sinaloa, thanks to an anonymous tip-off”.

Mexican officials could fulfill the extradition request for Joaquin Guzman as early as mid-year, according to Reuters.

(Vatican Radio) The most wanted drug trafficker in the world has been recaptured by Mexican Authorities for a second time, but the issue of whether he’ll be extradited to the United States, has yet to be resolved.

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was grabbed in the seaside Mexican city of Los Mochis after a Friday chase through the sewer system and a deadly gun battle in the streets.

Nieto had refused to hand Guzman over to the United States, but Mexican authorities are now likely to extradite him there.

The 58-year-old’s arrest is a major sigh of relief for President Enrique Pena Nieto, whose administration was humiliated when Guzman broke out of a maximum-security prison on July 11.

Once featured in the Forbes list of billionaires, Guzman’s Sinaloa Cartel has smuggled billions of dollars worth of heroin, cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines into the United States and fought vicious turf wars with other Mexican gangs.

Prior to his arrest, the notorious fugitive had even got as far as contacting actresses and producers for the film, it has emerged.

“Another important aspect which helped locate him was discovering Guzman’s intention to have a biographical film made”, Gomez said.

Despite tunneling out in July, Mexican marines returned the criminal to the Altiplano maximum security jail – the same prison he escaped 6 months back – considered to be the most secure prison in the entire country.

“However, the criminal was accompanied by two women and a girl, so (marines in a helicopter) chose to not fire their firearms to not risk the lives of third parties”, Gomez said.

Authorities submitted Guzman to genetic and photographic tests to fully ascertain whether they have arrested the right man, reported Mexican daily El Universal.

Marines seized two armoured vehicles, eight rifles, one handgun and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher at the home in Los Mochis.

When guards realized he was missing, they found a ventilated tunnel had been constructed and had an exit via the shower stall inside Guzman’s cell.

The US Justice Department did not immediately comment on whether it would seek his extradition.

In 2001, he escaped using a laundry cart and evaded Mexican authorities for years. They extradited him to Mexico and after his conviction, sent him to the Puente Grande maximum security prison.

The calls for his quick extradition were the same as after the February 2014 capture of Guzman, who heads the powerful Sinaloa Cartel and faces drug-trafficking charges in several USA states. The tunnel had ventilation, lights and a motorbike on rails, illustrating the extent to which corruption was involved in covering up the elaborate operation.

The attorney general spoke at a ceremony Friday night at Mexico City’s airport where Mexican marines displayed Guzman to journalists.