Joaquin Guzman Loera rose through the Guadalajara Cartel's ranks before becoming the dominant leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, using an extensive network of tunnels, submarines, bribery and violence to build one of history's largest cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine smuggling operations. First arrested in Guatemala in 1993, he escaped Mexico's Puente Grande maximum-security prison in January 2001, reportedly hidden in a laundry cart with the help of bribed guards, and evaded capture for thirteen years until his arrest in February 2014. Recaptured, he escaped again in July 2015 through a mile-long tunnel dug directly into his cell at the Altiplano prison, prompting an intense manhunt that ended with his recapture in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, in January 2016 after a gun battle with Mexican marines. Extradited to the United States in January 2017, Guzman was convicted in February 2019 on all ten federal counts against him, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and international narcotics trafficking, and was sentenced on 17 July 2019 to life in prison plus 30 years, with the presiding judge ordering forfeiture of $12.6 billion.
- Lived: 1957 CE – ?
- Nationality: mexican
- Roles: Leader of the Sinaloa Cartel (c. 1989-2016)
