4/5/2022»»Tuesday

How Many Times Has El Chapo Escaped Prison

4/5/2022

Still, Donovan believes El Chapo will live out the rest of his days alone, in prison. 'No one has ever escaped Supermax. He has no chance at all of ever getting out of there.' CNN's Sonia Moghe. MEXICO – Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” (Shorty) Guzman has just escaped from the ‘Islas Marias Federal Prison’, which is located in the island Maria Madre in Mexico. The Islas Marias Federal Prison has a history of multiple escapes and escape attempts with 76 escapes in the last 25 years. The Escape is one of the most intense and bloodiest escapes in history with over 64 cartel members and prison. On July, 2015, Guzman escaped from Altiplano prison via an underground tunnel - which was 1.5km (1 mile) long and had an entry under the shower in his cell. Chapo had been captured less than a year earlier, in February 2014, after being on the run for more than 13 years. Guzman was captured again in 2016, six months after escaping from prison. With just over 7 years in prison, on January 19, 2001, El Chapo escaped in a vehicle that provided laundry services, in a task that involved 71 people including 15 prison guards. El Chapo Guzman Consolidates as the Most Wanted Drug Lord in the World.

El Chapo's first escape, take over of Ciudad Juarez corridor Guzman’s first escape from prison took place on Jan. 19, 2001 when he was helped by a guard who opened Guzman's electronically.

A costume and a mask representing Mexican drug trafficker El Chapo. RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images

The noise of cartel employees digging through the concrete to get into El Chapo’s prison cell was so loud that the other inmates started complaining.

El Chapo had only been in prison a few weeks before a plan was hatched to get him out, former Sinaloa Cartel associate Dámaso López Nuñez testified today. In late March or early April of 2014, Lopez met with Emma Coronel Aispuro, El Chapo’s wife, to discuss breaking the cartel leader out of prison.

How Many Times Has El Chapo Escaped Prison

At the meeting she told him “that he was thinking of taking the risk again of escaping the prison, and he wanted to know if I would help him.”

López agreed and set about buying supplies, including a warehouse, weapons and an armored pickup truck, while Chapo’s sons purchased a plot of land south of the prison and a watch with GPS, which had to be smuggled into the cell, so the crew could know exactly where to dig. Coronel passed messages.

In 2015, Chapo reported that he was already hearing noise. It turned out to be the team trying to break through the extremely thick concrete, which took a long time to burrow through. Eventually, they broke into the cell’s shower, and the rest is history—caught on video.

El Chapo was pulled through the new tunnel on to a motorbike and then hopped on an ATV, driven by Coronel’s brother, and was ushered to a waiting plane.

At this part, El Chapo leaned forward in the courtroom and smiled a little. Coronel, who was also in the courtroom today, has not been charged for her role in the escape. Her face, hard to read, did not give anything away. López, who was testifying, had been making El Chapo’s life in prison easier for years; although today, he is trying to do the opposite.

In 1999, López was the director of security and custody at Puente Grande prison where Chapo was held from 1995 until his escape in 2001. At the time, he made El Chapo’s life in prison easier; now, he might be making it harder.

López fielded handwritten requests from Chapo, as is the customary procedure, for outside goods. Some were for new clothes or shoes, while others were for a cell phone capable of connecting to email (who knew they even had that at the turn of the century) and his second wife.

“On that occasion, my compadre asked me to help him, so that one of his wives could get in,” said Lopez.

How Many Times Has El Chapo Escaped Prison Killed

Many

Chapo already had one wife, Alejandrina María Salazar Hernández, listed as a visitor, but wanted to see his second one without having to erase the first from the list, understandably.

“It would have to be done clandestinely,” said López.

In return for these allowances, López, who is also the godfather to one of Chapo’s young twin daughters, was given one of his own.

“On one occasion, he gave me $10,000,” said López. Additionally, he received a house worth 1.5 million pesos. Perhaps the most touching example of El Chapo’s generosity came when he helped pay expenses after López’s child got into an accident.

In January of 2001, El Chapo escaped prison for the first time when a man named Chito pushed him out of the building in a laundry cart.

In the fallout of the escape, 50 to 70 guards were accused of helping El Chapo get out. According to López, however, it was only Chito—the truth of that statement is contested—the rest were innocent. According to López, that weighed on Chapo.

“He felt a moral commitment to help them, and through his lawyer, he was helping them,” said López.

He also quotes Chapo as saying “that really the plan for his escape was spontaneous.” It only occurred after he received notice by federal friends of an extradition order. El Chapo was quite comfortable running the business from prison, as was discussed even earlier in the trial proceedings.

In fact, López’s account of Chapo’s prison life does not do the scene justice. To complete that picture, an older testimony is required.

Miguel Angel Martinez, Chapo’s ex-lieutenant who later survived four attempts on his life after he was captured, which included a number of stabbings and a band playingthis corrido (a popular type of ballad) outside of his house all night before somebody threw a grenade into his cell the next morning, had a very different prison experience than his employer.

In November, Martinez testified about visiting Chapo in prison after visiting hours to take care of some business. He described the prison as having live music—similar to the kind he later stared down death to—and Chapo wearing very nice clothes and shoes (we know who he got them from), as well as any food or beverage option a man could want.

“Lobster or sirloin or pheasant,” he said.

There was music, and according to Martinez, inmates acted like staff, with some cooking while others cleaned, and still more took on security detail.

“So, fair to say this was like a party in there?” asked the prosecution.

“Yes,” he answered.

If you want to live large in a Mexican prison, it cost between $30,000 and $40,000 a month—at least back in the 1990s. It’s easy to see how Chapo attained the status of folk-hero.

Where Are They Now?

The 2015 escape was El Chapo’s last, though he tried again after being captured in January of 2016.

In February of that year, López again met with Coronel. He was, “going to make a huge effort to escape again,” she said.

López was given $100,000 to buy another plot of land, but before they could begin again, Chapo was transferred from Altiplano to another prison, Ciudad Juárez.

A $2 million dollar bribe was placed to the Mexican chief of prisons to get him back to Altiplano, but he was never taken back, which brings the story to today, in a Brooklyn courtroom.

While El Chapo stands trial, he resides in Manhattan Correctional Center, under very heavy security, whichThe New York Times detailed before the trial. The prison has been called inhuman by some, with rules such as 23 hours of fluorescent lighting a day and no human contact (earlier in the trial, Chapo was even denied a hug from his wife).

He is kept in a “segregated cell” with no view of the world, according to the article.

Security is so tight, the entire Brooklyn Bridge is closed as law enforcement transports the defendant to court, just across the river.

If El Chapo’s life in American prison is anything like that of Vicente Zambada, son of El Mayo, another leader, and at one time more wanted than both El Chapo and his father, according to him, it is not very pleasant.

Zambada was held in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) and did everything in his cell for two years, until he agreed to cooperate with the government. Meals were handed through the door slot, sometimes hours late. “You didn’t even get to breathe fresh air or see the sun for those two years,” said El Chapo’s defense lawyer Eduardo Balarezo, during his cross examination, trying to get Zambada to admit that he was lying about testimony in exchange for better treatment.

“You told her you were dead inside from being in the SHU,” Balarezo said, referring to a call between Zambada and his wife.

If El Chapo has died inside while in prison, he does not show it. During the trial, he has been calm and alert, taking notes and speaking with his defense team.

There have been no outbursts, even as he’s seen a parade of old friends, and a lover, try to bury him in exchange for lighter sentences of their own.

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Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is one of the most notorious and powerful drug lords to have ever walked God’s green earth. His rise through the ranks of Mexico’s drug cartels, and subsequent leadership of an international crime syndicate, has etched his name in the history books alongside other kingpins like Pablo Escobar, Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo also known as “El Padrino,” and America’s Frank Lucas to name a few. Guzman has also become a pop-culture figure due to Netflix’s hit shows Narcos and El Chapo. Yet, it’s his highly publicized prison escapes and recent trial that bring us together today.

Political and entertainment betting sites have an “Emmy award winning” prop bet on the board that offers bettors a chance to wager on whether or not El Chapo can escape a supermax prison in America. Guzman was sentenced this week to life in prison plus 30 years for good measure after the United States government found him guilty for a litany of crimes. However, unlike his life sentence, this mind-blowing prop bet won’t last as long. So, let’s examine this wager further to see if we can become a kingpin for a day.

Will El Chapo Escape From Prison in 2019 or 2020?

  • No (-100000)
  • Yes (+2500)

Bovada has created quite the buzz with this prop bet. Not only are they striking while the iron is hot, due to Guzman’s recent court case, but they’re also listing odds that would require drug lords to wager on in order to make any money.

On the surface, these odds are astronomical. The “yes” option would net you $2,500 dollars per every $100 wager. However, the “no” option requires that bettors place $100,000 dollars just to win $100. Needless to say, the value heavily leans toward one option.

El Chapo’s Recent Trial and Guilty Verdict

How

On Wednesday, July 17th, a federal judge sentenced Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to a life sentence plus 30 years for crimes that he was found guilty of by a jury in February. Guzman declared that his trial was “stained” due to jury misconduct, which there is some concern over an “anonymous juror” telling a media outlet that other members of the jury ignored the judge’s orders and read about the case through the media. Whether this “anonymous juror” was telling the truth or not is a debate for another day. Evidently, the judge didn’t believe this and still continued with the legal proceedings. However, this could be a factor in Guzman’s appeal process.

According to court documents, these were Guzman’s final words before being sentenced and shipped off to the ADX Florence supermax prison:

“My case was stained and you denied me a fair trial when the whole world was watching and where the press was present, judging everybody’s actions at every moment. And this then can be denied to any other person in other cases where nobody’s watching. What happened here leaves very clear that the United States is not better than any other corrupt country of those that you do not respect.”

What Is the ADX Florence Supermax Prison?

Located in Fremont County, Colorado, is a supermax prison considered to be the highest level of maximum security in America. Also known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” this is where the worst of the worst are sent to live out their final days.

In addition to El Chapo, this prison is filled with some of the most infamous Al-Qaeda terrorists and double agents ever convicted. Additionally, it’s also filled with domestic terrorists and criminals like “The Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski and the Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

ADX Florence can hold up to 490 of the world’s most dangerous and high-profile criminals. However, public records indicate that it’s never been completely filled. Each inmate spends at least 23 hours per day in their 7×12 foot cell. Showers are on a timer and the furniture within the cell is immovable. Furthermore, interaction with other inmates is very minimal and the only contact with the outside world is a four-inch window looking out at the sky.

The prison itself is known to be inescapable with numerous security measures inside and outside the prison walls including motion sensors, cameras, armed officers, and more.

According to The New York Post, Robert Hood—a former warden of ADX Florence—made the following comments about this prison:

“It’s not a place designed for humanity. It’s one click away from the death penalty. All of a sudden, one day, you’re put in a box and not cared about—that’s the punishment.”

El Chapo’s Previous Prison Escapes

On June 9th, 1993, El Chapo was arrested for the first time in Guatemala. It was a multi-country manhunt that finally captured an elusive Guzman who was then extradited to Mexico. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison for charges including drug trafficking and bribery. Despite being in prison, Guzman’s Sinaloa Cartel became the most powerful criminal organization throughout the world and El Chapo became a billionaire.

Guzman’s power and resources helped him escape prison in January of 2001 after a carefully crafted plan was executed with the help of roughly 80 people according to officials at the time. Guzman snuck out of the prison in a laundry cart and was whisked away in the trunk of a car. It’s alleged that Guzman paid over $2.5 million to execute this escape plan.

El Chapo’s Second Prison Escape

Guzman’s evasion of authorities lasted 13 years before being captured again on February 22, 2014. During that time, El Chapo became one of the world’s most wanted figures and also led a brutal drug war in Mexico for several years. He became a legend not only in Mexico, but throughout the world for his power, wealth, and evasiveness.

Guzman was quickly imprisoned in Mexico, and the government refused a second extradition request from the United States. Many legal battles took place in 2014 and 2015 between the Mexican government and Guzman’s legal team. In the end, he was convicted of drug trafficking and an assortment of other crimes.

This time, Guzman’s prison stay didn’t last nearly as long as his first imprisonment. In fact, it was only 17 months before El Chapo escaped a Mexican prison for the second time. On July 11th, 2015, Guzman escaped through a tunnel that stretched one mile underground from a construction site to the shower of his prison cell. This tunnel was roughly 33 feet beneath the ground, was 67 inches tall, and 30 inches wide. It had air ducts, lighting, top-notch construction materials and a motorcycle.

After his second escape, Guzman was once again the subject of a massive manhunt that spanned numerous countries and agencies. During his evasion of authorities, Guzman even did an interview with actor Sean Penn for the Rolling Stone magazine. El Chapo boasted of his wealth and status as arguably the most successful drug lord of all-time. The US government certainly felt he was the biggest drug kingpin of all time as they have credited Guzman for transporting over 200 tons of cocaine into America. And that doesn’t include methamphetamines or other illegal substances that he shipped to the United States.

Unfortunately for El Chapo, his time as a free man didn’t last long. On January 8, 2016, Guzman was arrested once again. This time, Mexico agreed to extradite El Chapo to the United States. On January 19th, 2017, Guzman was sent packing to America where he faced a 17-count indictment. Trial began in November 2018, and he was found guilty on February 12, 2019.

Pop Culture Portrayals

As mentioned, El Chapo’s legend grew to heights rarely seen in the history of organized crime and drug trafficking. In fact, many people believe that he’s even more of a pop culture figure than Pablo Escobar. Both Guzman and Escobar’s rise to power in the drug cartels have recently been captured in the Netflix hit series Narcos. To date, this show has run for four seasons and has taken viewers on an epic rollercoaster ride of drugs, violence, and power throughout Colombia and Mexico.

With Guzman, Netflix didn’t stop at just one show. The streaming platform giant put out another series called El Chapo that specifically chronicles the rise of Guzman in the world of drug trafficking. Viewers who have watched both of Netflix’s shows can attest to the mythical proportions that El Chapo’s legend has grown to.

How Many Times Has El Chapo Escaped Prison

Will El Chapo Escape Prison Again?

For Guzman and his family, El Chapo’s magical prison escapes appear to have come to an end. He’s no longer in a Mexican prison where inmates, prison staff, and local authorities can help him escape. Furthermore, he’s far removed from fellow cartel members and his unlimited resources. If anyone ever had the wealth and resources to do attempt an escape from ADX Florence it certainly is El Chapo. Nevertheless, orchestrating an escape from this supermax prison is something only accomplished in Hollywood films.

Despite Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador calling El Chapo’s jail conditions inhumane, the ADX Florence prison is Guzman’s last stop on this journey. Unless his attorneys pull off one of the greatest legal miracles in the history of mankind, we will never see El Chapo’s face in public again. Well, that’s not entirely true because a clothing line called “El Chapo 701” is now invading the fashion world. This fashion line was created by Guzman’s daughter and it has his face on many articles of clothing.

For this prop bet, take the “No” option. Not only will Guzman not escape prison in by the end of 2020, he will never escape prison again.

El Chapo Prop Bet: No, he will not escape prison in 2019 or 2020 (-100000)
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