El Chapo Guzman Made This Grave Mistake That Alerted Authorities On His Whereabouts

El Chapo Guzman is currently on the run from both Mexican and American authorities following his escape from prison a few months ago via a 1.5-kilometer tunnel. Adept at staying under the radar, he has up to now managed to evade capture, but it seems the authorities are closing in on him fast. Just a few days ago, it was reported that a massive manhunt for the Sinaloa Cartel leader carried out in the densely forested Sinaloa region yielded positive results as El Chapo was spotted for the first time since the search for him began.

According to Gawker, he off a cliff, landing at the bottom, where his bodyguards quickly rushed to his rescue, carrying him away and into the jungle. No sighting of him has occurred since. Apparently, he sustained injuries to his face and is said to have broken his leg during the incident.

On how the authorities came to pinpoint his whereabouts, a report by Televisa reveals that while El Chapo was in prison, his two girls adopted a pet monkey, but when Guzman broke out, the family had to flee the area, leaving the monkey behind. They, however, missed the monkey so much that El Chapo decided to send his pilot back to get him. Unfortunately for him, Mexican authorities intercepted the pilot and were able to trace El Chapo’s hiding place in the Sinaloa mountains, but when the Mexican marines raided the ranch where he was supposedly located, he was gone. This is as reported by CBS News.

Just yesterday, more developments unfolded as six people suspected to have directly aided the drug lord in his dramatic escape from Altiplano prison in July were arrested. They included El Chapo’s brother-in-law, who is said to be the mastermind behind the whole operation, and his pilot. According to WGN, Arely Gomez, Mexico’s Attorney General, confirmed on Wednesday that El Chapo first travelled by road to Queretaro and from there got into a small plane and was flown to Sinaloa, which is his stronghold.

That said, his cartel’s operations are also currently suffering as a result of the current focus on his capture and just a few days ago, authorities discovered an 800-meter tunnel spanning the Mexican-American border used by the Sinaloa Cartel to traffic drugs into the United States. According to Yahoo News, about 10 tons of marijuana was found stashed in the tunnel. Mexican police officials reported on Thursday that it was about 200 meters into the United States and featured ventilation, lighting, and rails.

Meanwhile, the United States has stepped up efforts to locate Emma Coronel, El Chapo Guzman’s wife, who is currently believed to be with the kingpin. According to CNN, the couple’s property in Los Angeles is currently under surveillance as authorities try to trace her whereabouts. In an anonymous statement by one of the officials working on the case, the goal is not to detain or arrest her, but just to know her location.

As in the words of Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez, a former hitman for Escobar, El Chapo’s current greatest fear is being extradited.

“He [El Chapo] knows he has to be killed, because if they capture him alive, they will extradite him to the US. And he will not tolerate a high-security prison in the US. There the food they give [is eaten with] a straw, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Nobody talks to you; there is no human contact. If somebody sends you a letter, they show it to you on a television screen.”

[Image via ImageGrid]