Guzman is the reputed chief of the Sinaloa drug cartel, which is considered among the most aggressive of the cartels in Mexico. The Sinaloa drug cartel battled violently with the Juárez drug cartel for control the lucrative Juárez-El Paso corridor. That battle was one of the bloodiest in Mexico and made Juárez one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
The war claimed more than 10,000 people since 2008. As a result of the violence, many Juárez residents chose to flee the city and a significant number moved to El Paso.
When former Mexican President Felipe Calderón took office in 2006, he deployed thousands of soldiers to drug hot spots, including Juárez. Since then, more than 70,000 people in Mexico have been killed in drug violence, the Associated Press reports.
Violence in Juárez has declined because several key figures in the drug underworld were arrested — some of whom have been convicted in El Paso. The Sinaloa drug cartel has members working in the El Paso area.
Guzman was arrested without incident just before 7 a.m. at a hotel in Mazatlán, a popular tourist area in northwest Mexico. Read more
Posts
