Photo: rt.com
Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, also known as El Chapo or “Shorty”, used an “elaborate tunnel” to break out of a maximum security prison, officials state.
His escape route marked from Altiplano jail was more than 1.5km (1 mile) long and had ventilation and stairs, the national security commissioner stated in his report. Eighteen guards are currently being interrogated relating to the jailbreak. Guzman was last seen in the showers of the jail on Saturday. It was the second time he had escaped from a top security prison.
Back in the year 2001, he broke out by hiding in a laundry basket after bribing prison officials. He had been serving a sentence of more than 20 years after being arrested in Guatemala in 1993.
His recapture in 2014 was hailed as a victory for Mexico’s government. Police have been searching buses and cars as the manhunt intensifies.
Guzman’s escape is a huge embarrassment to the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto. Earlier this year, his administration dismissed concerns that Guzman could escape for a second time, but the government’s worst nightmare has unfolded. Since Mr Nieto took office in 2012, authorities have detained or killed numerous top drug lords. However, this escape is seen as a “mockery” of the Mexican prison system and shows the difficulty in keeping one of the country’s most powerful criminals behind bars. It seems more than unlikely that the prison break took place without some form of inside help. A manhunt has been launched. But even if he’s recaptured many here wonder what’s the point of putting him back in a Mexican jail. Security arrangements and vigil has been tightened around the prison. A manhunt has been launched and flights suspended at a nearby Toluca airport.
Pena Nieto has ordered a full investigation to establish whether any officials helped Guzman escape. “I was profoundly shocked by the news. This is an affront to the Mexican state,” he remarked.
Guzman’s wealth is estimated at $1bn (£630m).
His rise to head of the Sinaloa cartel made him the world’s most wanted drug trafficker. It smuggles huge amounts of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine into the United States.
Before his recapture in 2014, the US state department had offered a reward of up to $5m (£3.2m) for information leading to his arrest.
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch issued a statement saying the US government shared Mexico’s concern regarding the escape of Guzman. “In addition to his crimes in Mexico, he faces multiple drug trafficking and organized crime charges in the United States,” she stated. She said the US government is ready to co-operate with Mexico to help recapture Guzman.
