The Truth Behind Mexico’s Most Infamous Cartel

Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the cartel’s most famous leader, managed to escape from prison not once, but twice. His first escape happened in 2001, when he was smuggled out of a high-security Mexican prison hidden inside a laundry cart pushed by a guard.

After being recaptured in 2014, he escaped again in 2015 — this time through a mile-long underground tunnel leading directly to his cell’s shower. The tunnel had lighting, ventilation, and even a motorcycle on rails. The escapes made him an international symbol of both criminal ingenuity and deep corruption within Mexico’s prison system.