El Chapo is a crime thriller television series that premiered on April 23, 2017 before being released on Netflix. The show revolves around the life of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, a notorious drug lord and the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel throughout the 1980s. The series shows the rise of Joaquin from a lowly member of the Guadalajara Cartel to one of the most powerful drug lords in history to ultimately facing his downfall.
El Chapo on Netflix is based on true events. However, some details in the show have been altered and fictionalized to create drama amongst viewers for entertainment purposes. Forbes Magazine in 2011 enlisted Joaquin Guzman as one of the most powerful people and the 10th richest man in Mexico.
Created by Silvana Aguirre and Carlos Contreras, the show stars Marco de la O as Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, Humberto Busto as Conrado Higuera Sol “Don Sol," Alejandro Aguilar as Tono Antonio Mendoza Cruz, and many others.
Throughout three seasons, the Spanish-language show chronicles around Guzmán's ascent and several arrests. The dramatized version of Guzmán's biography isn't the most current or accurate source because the lawsuit against him is still ongoing, but it still makes its place in one of the best crime series to watch on Netflix.
Who is El Chapo in real life, and where is he now?
Joaquin was born into a poor family in the rural community of Tuna in Sinaloa on April 4, 1957. With not many prospects for a decent job and a poor family background, Joaquin supposedly started marijuana cultivation at the age of 15 under the guidance of his father. This was his first step into the world of narcos. He left his home at the age of 20 to join the cartel.
Joaquin Guzman's stocky build and low stature earned him the nickname El Chapo. From a young age, he was allegedly involved in the drug trade and went on to become one of the most well-known criminals of the twenty-first century. His ability to elude justice and his prison escapes are what have made him notorious in the world of organized crime.
As of this writing, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is serving a life sentence in a supermax facility in Colorado. He was convicted in 2019 on charges that included drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapon trafficking.
How did El Chapo make his prison escape?
Joaquin rose from a cartel leader to the top drug kingpin in all of Mexico in 2003. His crime reach was so extravagant reaching even in America which made him a household name, comparing him to Pablo Escobar and Al Capone. Because of his cocaine trade and prison escapes, the U.S. federal government at a point labeled him as:
“The most ruthless, dangerous, and feared man on the planet.”
In 2001 Guzman was charged for money laundering and drug importation charges in San Diego, while he remained in person in Mexico. Before he could be tried in the United States, El Chapo made his escape by riding out in a laundry cart through the authority's front doors.
He made his next escape in 2015 which also made headlines. This time around, he escaped a Mexican prison with maximum security via a series of elaborate tunnels.
Joaquin’s son Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada gets arrested in Texas
On Thursday, U.S. investigators in Texas detained Guzman's son Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, and Joaquín Guzman Lopez, the son of another notorious cartel leader. These individuals had reportedly eluded the U.S. authorities for decades and had been looking after the supply of drugs into the United States. The two were arrested in El Paso, Texas.
According to Free Press Journal, Attorney General Merrick said the two would face justice in the United States:
“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable.”
