WASHINGTON, DC – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
announced today a toll-free tip line where the general public in the United
States, Mexico, Central and South
America can report any information that could aid in the apprehension of
Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman-Loera, who escaped a Mexican
prison in July.
The tip line will be managed by the DEA San Diego Division.
In addition to the tip line, the public can email tips to CHAPOTIPS@USDOJ.GOV.
In concert with the launch of the tip line, DEA has also released a wanted
poster that contains the number, email address, and the U.S. State Department
reward of up to $5 million for the arrest and conviction of Chapo. The poster
can be found at DEA.gov.
“Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman-Loera has destroyed lives and
communities throughout the United States and Mexico and his capture is a high
priority for DEA,” said Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg. “His escape poses a danger to the safety and
security of both our countries. DEA will
continue to work closely with our Mexican counterparts and provide as many
resources as possible to ensure his arrest.”
The tip line number
in the United States is (844) 692-4101 and outside the U.S. the number is
001-844-692-4101.
Guzman-Loera was arrested on June 9, 1993, in Mexico on
charges related to murder and drug trafficking and was sentenced to a 20 year
prison term. However, on January 19, 2001, Guzman-Loera escaped from the
federal maximum security prison in Jalisco, Mexico. While on the run from
Mexican authorities, Guzman-Loera re-established himself as the top ranking
member of the Sinaloa Cartel and leader of the Mexican drug trade, becoming the
world’s #1 fugitive and a Forbes-listed billionaire. He was rearrested on February
22, 2014, in a modest resort hotel in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico. On July 11,
2015, he again escaped from Altiplano federal maximum security prison in the
State of Mexico.
Guzman-Loera was in charge of the Guzman-Loera drug
trafficking organization (DTO), which in turn, is part of the larger Sinaloa
Cartel. Under the leadership of Guzman-Loera and his partner, Ismael
Zambada-Garcia, the Sinaloa Cartel controls vast trafficking operations on an
international scale, with the majority of its drugs being distributed to the
United States. The Sinaloa Cartel bases its operations principally in the
Mexican states of Sinaloa, Sonora, Durango and Baja California, although it
also has representation in several other states throughout the Republic. In
addition to its distribution cells in the United States, the DTO transports
drug shipments to Canada, Australia, Europe, Africa and Asia. Their
organization smuggles multi-ton cocaine shipments from South America through
Central America into Mexico. They are also involved in the manufacture,
transport and distribution of methamphetamine and heroin. Additionally, the
organization operates several large scale marijuana plantations in Sinaloa and
surrounding areas. The Sinaloa Cartel organization relies on bulk currency
shipments to move drug proceeds across the United States-Mexico border.
Guzman-Loera has been charged with drug trafficking and
related crimes in several U.S. District Courts, to include the District of
Arizona, the Southern District of California, the Western District of Texas,
the Northern District of Illinois, the Eastern District of New York, and the
Southern District of Florida. The first U.S. indictment against Guzman-Loera
was unsealed in San Diego on September 28, 1995, charging him and 22 members of
his organization with conspiracy to import over eight tons of cocaine and money
laundering.
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