“The biggest drug lord of all time” is a name given to Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman by Forbes Magazine. Guzman was one of the guys you’d see on a late night episode of America’s Most Wanted; he was arrested back on February 22, turning the drug distribution industry upside down. For those of you who haven’t heard of Guzman, he was the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico and his net worth is estimated to be more than a billion dollars (businessinsider.com). “Sinaloa is Mexico’s most powerful criminal organization and the #1 supplier of illegal drugs to the U.S.” (forbes.com). He’s also been listed among Forbes’s ‘The World’s Most Powerful People‘ and rolls into slot #67.

I think his capture caught a lot of people by surprise, but I’m sure both the Mexican and American governments felt it was a long time coming. He was able to successfully avoid the DEA, Mexican law enforcement, and even U.S federal law enforcement for more than 13 years. He’s caused quite a stir for more than two decades and has already successfully escaped prison once. “On Jan. 19, 2001, with 12 years left on a 20-year sentence, Guzman crawled into a laundry cart and was wheeled out of prison by a guard, according to the ex-DEA agent Vigil. Guzman ordered the guard to stop their getaway car at a convenience store and then vanished into the night. The escape fueled Guzman’s near-mythical status, and he grew ever more powerful” (cbcnews.com).

After years chasing this guy around, I’m sure authorities were overjoyed that they could finally check this guy off their list. My question is, do they really think prison is going to stop him? He’s already effectively managed to escape once. I don’t think he’s going to just fall under the radar. This guy has connections in many places and I’m sure he’ll still be able to work from the inside. I’m guessing he’ll make the news again and continue to hold true to his name.