Where in the world is El Chapo Guzmán?
LatestThe internet and social media have been flooded with rumors after fugitive drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán tunneled his way out of a Mexican maximum security prison last month. Many are claiming they’ve spotted the infamous narco boss, either flying in a helicopter to chilling in the Dominican Republic.
Finding El Chapo is quickly becoming an internet sport. And after more than a month on the run, the internet might have a better chance of finding him than the Mexican government at this point.
Here are some of the internet’s best Chapo’s sightings/rumors from recent weeks:
1. He’s flying high and sipping beer
Right after news of his escape broke, websites like blog del narco and other media outlets began circulating alleged images of a seemingly calm Chapo riding a helicopter and having a cerveza with friends in an undisclosed location.
2. Seeing the sights in the Netherlands
Days after Chapo tunneled to freedom, a Dutch police officer tweeted that the world’s most wanted drug lord was seen walking down Paul Krugerweg Street in the small town of Ermelo, outside of Amsterdam.
Three kids reportedly called the local police and said they had spotted the kingpin hanging out before jumping into a vehicle. The Dutch media quickly picked up on the story and called it “an exciting adventure.”
“The man had dyed hair and a mustache. I’d seen him in the paper, he really looked like him,” one of the kids told the Omroep Gelderland media outlet.
3. He’s going after Donald Trump
The Republican presidential hopeful reportedly alerted the FBI when a Twitter handle attributed to El Chapo threatened to make him swallow his insults against Mexicans.
“You messed with mine now I mess with yours.”
“Sooner or later this will happen. Don’t doubt it, always supporting the people.”
The Twitter battle got so heated that even singer Pitbull warned Trump to “be careful of El Chapo.”
“Thanks Pitbull, you know it.”
4. California Dreamin’
According to a report by Fusion’s parent company Univision, El Chapo was known to have a California drivers license.
According to an alleged DEA report Univision gained accessed to, the drug lord used the license to purchase luxury cars.
In 2011, his beauty queen wife Emma Coronel allegedly gave birth to twins in a California hospital just north of Los Angeles.
For some this may be enough for Chapo to cross the border.
5. He’s kicking it in the D.R.
Following Mexico’s international alert through Interpol, some Dominican media and social media reported that search efforts were apparently being concentrated in the Dominican Republic. The reports claimed 100 Interpol intelligence agents were conducting searches in tourist areas.
The rumors of Chapo hiding in the D.R. spread so quickly that the director of the country’s national department of investigations was prompted to publicly downplay the reports.
6. Home Sweet Sinaloa
There are also rumors that El Chapo has returned home to Sinaloa, where he’s protected by his local boys and knows how to hide in the Sinaloa mountain range.
“In situations like this, people tend to be creatures of habit,” Jack Riley, the deputy administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, told the Washington Post.
The second time Chapo was captured, he was found residing in an apartment with his wife and daughters in the coastal city of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and reportedly moved around using a network of underground tunnels.
7. Visiting his second home in Guatemala
If Chapo is a creature of habit some think he might be hiding in Guatemala — a land he knows well.
El Chapo was first captured in 1993 along the Guatemala-Mexico border. When he escaped twice, the Mexican government issued an alert to reinforce security along its southern border.
Sinaloa cartel cells are known to conduct numerous operations in Central America.
8. Google doesn’t have a clue
If you’re just joining the internet hunt for El Chapo, don’t expect any help from Google. When you search: “Where is el chapo now” you’re likely to get a wide variety of answers from the maximum security prison of Altiplano to Sinaloa.
So Google is into some crazy conspiracy theory that either Chapo never really left his prison cell, or its search engine algorithms just can’t keep up with his many tunnels.
Note: it appears the search engine has been optimized: