Mexican authorities turned up the heat on drug baron Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who injured himself while falling as he eluded special forces in rough mountain terrain, officials said Saturday.
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The official said that after his escape from the maximum-security prison where he was being held not far from Mexico City, Guzman was taken to the central state of Queretaro. Aside from what government officials stated, the only other tidbit comes from three sources telling NBC that Guzman’s cover was blown by an intercepted cell phone signal.
A new video of his escape was leaked to the Televisa channel this week, showing that loud hammering could be heard in his cell moments before he descended down the hole.
After Guzman’s escape troops shut off 13 communities from Jesus Maria – 30 miles north of the state’s capital Culiacan – to the nearby states of Durango and Chihuahua, in order to search for him.
On Wednesday, Sinaloa Gov. Mario Lopez Valdez confirmed that military operations in a mountainous area of that northwestern state and neighboring Durango were aimed at tracking down the notorious drug lord.
The government said that it will continue the operations to nab Guzman back.
Handout Guzman also broke out of prison in 2001, but was captured after 12 years on the lam. However, he suffered injuries to his face and leg as he escaped, Mexican officials revealed Friday, according to The worldwide Business Times.
“They came shooting at my brother’s ranch”, he complained.
A federal government official denied that the marines fired on civilian homes.
Her husband, Gonzalo, said: “The newspaper reported they were looking for him (Guzman), but he wasn’t there and they nearly killed us”.
His most recent escape strained relations with Washington, which had formally requested the drug kingpin’s extradition just weeks earlier. He had been on the run until authorities arrested him again in February 2014.
An additional 34 people have been arrested in connection with the July 11 escape.
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Guzman is charged with drug trafficking and related crimes in several US federal courts, including Arizona, California, Texas, Illinois, New York and Florida.
