Again, Drug Kingpin Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman Escapes Mexican Prison, $10m Reward Placed On Whoever Finds Him

Early yesterday morning, drug kingpin Joaquin ‘El Chapo’
Guzmán, head of the Sinaloa Cartel, escaped from the Altiplano maximum security
prison once again. It is unclear at this point what exactly happened, but these
are the details ABC News has received from Mexican officials so far:

2:35 AM: Guzmán was taken in restraints by two prison guards
on a routine cell transfer.

3:05 AM: Prison staff could not locate Guzmán or the two
prison guards’s whereabouts. The prison was put on lockdown as personnel went
looking for them.

4:15 AM: A prison van was found abandoned only a mile away
from the prison. Mexican officials believe the two guards, who began working at
the prison just months ago, were actually members of the Sinaloa Cartel working
for Guzmán.

Prison guards searching the grounds of Altiplano maximum security
prison after “El Chapo” escaped

Before yesterday’s escape, Mexican officials were working to
extradite “El Chapo” to the United States, where he faced drug trafficking
charges connected to his cartel, authorities said.

An undercover U.S. FBI agent told the Dallas Morning News
that El Chapo’s flight was like Osama Bin Laden escaping prison—and the state
has only itself to blame. “What does this say about Mexican corruption?” the
agent asked. “Disgusting.”

This is now the third time Guzmán has escaped from a Mexican
prison and brings into question Mexico’s ability to keep corruption out of it’s
penal system.

In 1993, Guzmán was captured in Guatemala, extradited and
sentenced to 20 years in prison in Mexico for murder and drug trafficking. In
2001, after bribing Mexican prison guards, he was able to escape from a federal
maximum-security prison in 2001. On February 22nd, 2014, Guzmán was found
inside his fourth-floor condominium in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and was captured
without any gunshots being fired. Guzmán escaped from prison again on July
11th, 2015 by exiting through a tunnel that led to a nearby construction site.
He was recaptured by Mexican marines following a shootout at Guzman’s hideout
in Mexico on January 8th, 2016. During the raid, five gunmen were killed, six
others arrested, and one Marine was wounded. The Mexican Navy said that they
found two armored cars, eight assault rifles, including two Barrett M82 sniper
rifles, two M16 rifles with grenade launchers and a loaded rocket-propelled
grenade launcher. A .50-caliber rifle was also found, capable of taking down a
helicopter. Most of the weapons seized, including the .50 caliber rifle, were
from the Fast and Furious gun-smuggling scandal, a story the U.S. government
declared to be over.

U.S. Officials along with Mexican authorities have setup a
24-hour hotline at (785) 273-0325 for anyone with information about the
whereabouts of Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman. A $10 million dollar reward is
currently being offered and as always, you can remain anonymous.