He’s outlived most of his enemies, only to see them replaced by new enemies.Īs Joaquín Guzmán Loera consolidated his position in the decade following his escape and his nickname, El Chapo, became known far and wide, he was never the only kingpin in town, nor even the most powerful he was just one powerful leader in a federation of several powerful leaders. He’s the most famous capo in a generation, having risen from a crowded field of fellow smugglers to be the most recognizable brand-name drug lord since Pablo Escobar. Then, after being captured again, he escapes-again! He’s back in the mountains, no prison can hold him! His name is synonymous with drug trafficking. He has rebuilt his empire, and is moving more coke, weed, heroin, and meth into the United States than ever before.
Picture this: The most wanted man in Mexico has clawed his way back to power after escaping from what was supposed to be the most secure prison in the country. Noah Hurowitz covered that trial for Rolling Stone, and continued his reporting in a new book ' El Chapo: The Untold Story of the World's Most Infamous Drug Lord', excerpted here. When he stood trial in November, 2018 in Brooklyn, far from home, the narrative was less his than it ever had been. There was perhaps nothing Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán Loera wanted more than to control his legacy.
