MEXICO CITY, Oct. 21 (UPI) — Notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman reportedly broke his leg after falling off a small cliff when Mexican special forces tracked him down to a mountainous region.
Guzman was spotted by Mexican marines and other special forces on Oct. 9 near the town of Cosala in Mexico’s Sinaloa state. He was seen with a child, causing authorities to hesitate in creating a possibly deadly pursuit, CNN reported.
When special forces later saw Guzman without the child, they moved in and pursued Guzman on foot. An official with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that Guzman fell off a cliff and was recovered by his bodyguards — escaping into a dense forest.
Authorities believe Guzman injured his face and broke his leg after the fall.
Last week, an unedited leaked video of Guzman’s escape shed further light into the suspicious circumstances surrounding the prison break.
Mexican television channel Televisa broadcasted the CCTV footage of Guzman’s escape, the longer version of a video authorities previously released but without sound and only showing the moments before Guzman disappeared.
Guzman escaped from a Mexican prison for the second time in July by using a mile-long tunnel, which could have taken a year to build. At least three others have also been charged over the escape.
The entrance of the tunnel measured about 20-by-20 inches and the tunnel itself was about 5 feet deep. Other sections of the tunnel delve much deeper. PVC piping, likely used for ventilation and lighting, was found throughout the tunnel. A motorcycle was also found, apparently used to dig and to transport materials for the tunnel.
“El Chapo” — meaning “The Short One” or “shorty” — so dubbed because of his 5-foot-6-inch frame, was captured in Guatemala in 1993 and then extradited to Mexico to face murder and drug trafficking charges. He escaped from prison in 2001 by hiding in a laundry cart after bribing prison guards, and was re-captured in February 2014. Guzman’s previous escape cost him about $2.5 million.
