Mexico moves El Chapo to another prison, fueling rumors he was planning another escape

  • 8 years ago
CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO — The world’s most notorious drug lord has been transferred to another prison as he fights extradition to the United States.

Mexican authorities moved Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to a maximum security prison in Ciudad Juarez near the Texas border on the weekend, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Guzman, head of the Sinaloa cartel, has twice escaped from prison. He has been held at the maximum security Altiplano prison near Mexico City since he was recaptured in January after seven months on the run, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Mexican authorities have implemented tough security measures to try to prevent Guzman from escaping a third time.

Surveillance cameras film El Chapo 24 hours a day, and motion sensors capture his every move, according to a CNN report in January, citing Mexican newspaper El Universal.

Cell floors have been reinforced with three-quarter inch steel rods and a 16-inch layer of concrete, according to CNN and CBS News.

Guards record Guzman with helmet-mounted cameras, and dogs have been trained to detect his scent, CNN reported.

El Chapo is made to move cells regularly, and lawyers for the drug lord complain he is being deprived of sleep, CNN reported.

Security analysts said it was possible authorities moved Guzman to make upgrades to the Altiplano prison, according to the Los Angeles Times. They also said it was possible that officials feared El Chapo was planning another escape.

A lawyer for Guzman said he did not know why his client had been moved to Ciudad Juarez, but he would continue to fight attempts by the U.S. to extradite him, CBS News reported.

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