Mexican authorities captured and arrested Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán on Jan. 8, but the infamous drug kingpin was determined to remain free. Guzmán—who escaped a maximum security prison on July 11, 2014—took law enforcement on a wild six-hour chase through the sewers of Los Mochis, according to the Guardian.
The escaped prisoner was living in the seaside city of Los Mochis in a nondescript white home, according to the Los Angeles Times. Before the sun rose on Jan. 8, members of the Mexico’s armed forces as well as several police officers had the house surrounded. That’s when the action started.
Javier Torres, 18, lives in the neighborhood Guzmán was hiding in. He told the Los Angeles Times that El Chapo’s arrest “was like an action movie.”
“The gunfire ... the helicopters woke us. There were lots of shouts,” Torres said.
The Guardian reported that members of the Sinaloa drug cartel opened fire first leading marines to return fire. One marine was injured and five cartel members died during this exchange.
A helicopter was deployed over the house El Chapo was in and the street was sealed off with law enforcement. However, those barriers didn’t stop Guzmán from escaping the home with Orso Iván Gastélum Cruz, his chief of security.
Both men hid in a sewer. Mexican officials used torches to track them through the sewer system, but they evaded authorities for several hours, according to the Guardian.
The duo emerged from the sewer undetected and carjacked a motorist for a red Ford Focus. Federal agents eventually swarmed the Ford Focus as Guzmán and Cruz headed toward a rural area.
However, the Guardianreported that Guzmán’s captured wasn’t the end of this exhilarating chase. Authorities needed a discreet location to hold El Chapo in until he could be transported back to prison. They chose a sex motel, according to a photo posted on Twitter by reporter Rory Carroll.
The seedy room was “decorated in pink and purple hues and costs 300 pesos (£11.50) for six hours,” Carroll reported. Condoms, sex toys, and lubricants littered the room.
Marines transported El Chapo from the sex motel to Alpitano, the same prison he previously escaped from.
Guzmán is allegedly interested in having a biopic made about his life. His action-filled capture would, undoubtedly, be included.
