The Mexican Marines, most notable the least likely to be corrupted, caught Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, 56, the leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel at a hotel in Mazatlán, Mexico, on Saturday around 6:40a.m.
Guzman is facing multiple drug trafficking problems in the United States, and the DEA is also looking for a piece of him.
According to Fox News, authorities have been cracking down hard on the Sinaloa cartel. In November, the son of the co-leader of the cartel, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada was arrested after he crossed the board to meet with U.S. Immigration to update his wife’s status as to legal for his wife. Then in later in the month, Zambada's lieutenant was killed as Mexican police riddled his mansion with bullets.
Malcolm Beith, who published a book called "Last Narco,” told CNN that, “"He's a fascinating character. He's the epitome of the problem. He's a poor kid who had some family connections in the drug trade, no options, no real education...(and) becomes a big time drug lord.” The author continued to say that, the last time Guzman was arrested, he suspects that the drug lord lived like a king on the inside.
The Sinaloa cartel was formed in in 1980. Guzman created that empire from the bottom up, becoming one of the most powerful drug lords in Mexico.