When disclosing the way authorities ended up capturing famed drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, Mexican officials ended up admitting an error about their initial version. The government also revealed Guzman was attempting to make a biographical movie about his life.
As part of the six month effort to capture him, Mexican authorities followed a particular tunnel maker who had been working at various homes in Sinaloa, said Mexican Attorney General Arely Gomez during a press conference Friday night.
As previously reported by Breitbart Texas, Mexican authorities initially claimed that Mexican marines went to the house following an anonymous tip about gunmen at the residence. Gomez’s version of events ended up disproving the previous version.
Initial versions leaked by authorities also pointed to Guzman’s top enforcer Ivan “El Cholo” Gastellum having been able to elude capture when, in fact, he was captured along with Guzman.
For more than a month, authorities checked a particular house and on January 7, they spotted a vehicle that was being used by the drug lord. Mexican authorities went to the house but were met by gunfire from El Chapo’s bodyguards setting off a fierce gun battle that left five gunmen dead, and injured one marine. Six other gunmen were arrested.
In addition to assault rifles and two armored vehicles, the gunmen also had one rocket launcher.
Guzman and Gastellum were able to escape from the house into the sewer system in Los Mochis. From there, they climbed up back to the streets and got into various vehicles as the drug lord and his henchmen tried to flee.
Mexican authorities set off a massive manhunt and eventually arrested both of the men. Authorities took Guzman and Gastellum to a local motel as they waited for backup before taking them into custody and eventually flying them to Mexico City, Arely Gomez said.
Gomez claimed that one of the leads that authorities followed was the fact that Guzman wanted to have a biographical movie made about him. Attorneys for the drug lord met with film producers and actors, the attorney general said.
During the news conference, Mexican authorities took full credit for the capture and never said if U.S. law enforcement agents took part in the search effort.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas you can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.