This Man Escaped Prison in the Most Creative Way

Secret Plan

He sat there in his prison cell, patiently waiting, pacing back and forth in his prison cell. He could feel the rumbling beneath the floor and other prisoners were starting to take notice as well, but he turns a blind eye and pretends that he has no idea what has been causing it. This made him anxious, but he’s hopeful that everything goes according to plan.

“El Chapo”

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has been recognized as the most notorious drug lord not only in Mexico but the entire world. He’s the former leader of the famous “Sinaloa” Cartel which is an infamous crime syndicate. The Sinaloa Cartel became one of the most profitable global drug-trafficking operations. But how did this evil mastermind turn into the man he is known for today? 

Childhood

Joaquin didn’t have a pleasant childhood in comparison to most children. His father would often physically abuse him. Joaquin would feel his father’s fists against his face and he’s unable to fend for himself. He endured all the abuse that his father would throw at him. His family was poor and they were unable to afford most things.

Joaquin was exposed to the world of illegal drugs at an early age. His father would trade drugs in order for them to have food on their plates. Eventually, Joaquin was kicked out of their home during his teenage years. There, he’d face the cruel reality in the outside world and was forced to become the man he is today…

Getting involved

Joaquin was mercilessly thrown into the real world as a teenager. With little knowledge on how to properly work or where to get a job, he turned to the one thing he knew doing since he was a child—drugs. 

It seems his exposure to drugs through his father had made a huge impact on his life decisions. He started out by growing marijuana and selling it for a small amount of cash but by the late 1970s, Joaquin found himself working with another rising drug dealer, Hector Luis Palma Salazar. 

Rising to Power 

His life may look quiet and low-profile, but Joaquin has actually been supervising logistics for another infamous drug kingpin, Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, the founder of the Guadalajara Cartel. He worked for Gallardo for several years and remained loyal under his wing, but his boss was eventually arrested for murdering an American agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 

After the arrest, Joaquin then gradually became one of the new faces of the Mexican drug cartel. 

Establishing his own

It seems Joaquin had nowhere to go but up at this point. After working with drug lords for several years, Joaquin became extremely familiar with how the drug world works. It was wrong but he felt that this was the only thing he was meant to do since it was the only thing he has expertise on. 

Joaquin inherited his boss’s old territory and he eventually founded his own cartel, the Sinaloa Drug Cartel. The Sinaloa Cartel became notorious for smuggling illegal drugs in creative ways, they would hide cocaine power inside fire extinguishers and sneak it inside cans labeled as “chili peppers.”  Unbeknownst to him, he was then under the radar of the DEA and FBI. 

Initial Arrest 

Joaquin’s first arrest happened back in 1993, but that was just one of many attempts of the government to catch the mad man behind bars. He was sentenced by the Guatemalan government to a maximum-security prison for 20 years. 

But despite being behind bars, it seems El Chapo’s charm never fails to win the people’s favor. People described El Chapo as someone who has a “Robinhood-like” appeal. In 2001, El Chapo was able to bribe prison guards to help him escape using a laundry cart. But that wasn’t even his biggest escape attempt… 

On the run

While El Chapo was still living freely in the outside world while keeping a low-profile, he did nothing but expand his fortunes. A decade after his initial arrest, the man reeked in $3 billion ANNUALLY. His net worth slowly climbed up to $1 billion. 

The US government was not happy and he became the number 1 drug target, with a $5 million bounty above his head. In 2012, authorities froze all of his family’s assets. And in 2014, El Chapo was arrested while he was staying at a hotel on a beach somewhere in Mexico. 

Back in prison 

He found his way back in prison again, but this time, he’s held captive in a maximum-security prison with no possible way to escape. But El Chapo had different plans than to just let himself rot in a jail cell once again. 

Taking his chances

El Chapo had anticipated this day, he knew that he would be apprehended once again by the government for his scheming actions. So this time, he came prepared. For months, Joaquin would patiently wait in his jail cell, behaving like a good prisoner. He would befriend the guards and the other inmates, making sure that no one would take notice of the biggest escape plan he has up his sleeve.

Digging their way through

30 feet underneath the maximum-security prison, El Chapo’s men were digging their way through their man-made tunnel. They were cautious of their every move, trying to ensure that they wouldn’t raise suspicion or their entire plan would fall apart. 

Although modern digging equipment would make digging a lot easier, El Chapo’s men used old-fashioned shovels and pick-axes in order to avoid making too much noise. It was a clever but tedious choice. But where exactly would this tunnel lead to and how sure are they that the plan will be fool-proof? 

Clever plan

Before El Chapo and his team of men even started digging the tunnel, El Chapo had already bought a plot of land near the prison. They began to construct two small houses to serve as a cover-up for their escape plan. 

The houses were unfinished beyond the brick outer shell on the outside. This is because the houses were uninhabited and were only erected in order to serve as a hideout for the tunnel hole. 

Race against time

Escaping prison was a race against time for El Chapo. Since he was notorious for escaping prisons before in the past, he was at risk of being transferred to another prison at any time to prevent any attempts of escaping. This could foil his entire tedious plan and he would end up thinking of a new one if this happens. But that isn’t the only problem that El Chapo will be facing. 

Drawing attention? 

As people pass by the random house near the prison, they can’t help but wonder why it was there in the first place. Tourists and passersby alike would approach the house in curiosity, attempting to figure out why the outer shell of the house is done while the rest of the house inside contained absolutely nothing. El Chapo was indeed running out of time, is his plan really fool-proof or will he spoil himself in the end? 

Staying cool under pressure

While staying inside the prison, he would attempt to portray himself as a model prisoner. Often trying to follow rules while befriending both the guards and the prisoners once again, like back when he was first detained. 

But despite his seemingly cool demeanor, El Chapo was slowly getting impatient. Fearing that his anxiety might get the best of him and he might end up spoiling the plan unconsciously. The guards closely monitored his behavior, every move, every visit, every word he would say would be jotted down. He knew he can’t mess up, not when he’s so close to getting his freedom back. 

Will it be a success?

As El Chapo paced his room back and forth, he was second-guessing himself. “Will this work? Will my efforts be in vain?” he would ask himself these questions repeatedly. But he stayed firm and tried to stay calm. 

Typically, digging a tunnel that size would take 18 months to 2 years for it to be fully done but it only took 16 months before El Chapo was finally able to make his great escape… 

The Tunnel

It wasn’t just any tunnel, the tunnel that El Chapo and his men dug up had a ventilation system in order to allow oxygen to flow freely inside. Not only did they ensure that there would be enough air to breathe underneath the tunnel but they also laid down rails in order to make traveling through the tunnel a lot easier. 

It was unbelievable how El Chapo was able to do all this while being undetected by the prison guards. After the construction of the tunnel was finished, El Chapo was getting ready for his big escape. 

Escaping through the tunnel

One night as El Chapo finished taking his shower, he heard the sound of metal scrapping. “This is it,” he said to himself. As the person underground struggled to push the ceramic bottom out of the way, El Chapo patiently waited. He was then greeted by a friendly face and was gestured to go in as the tunnel was ready. 

He wasted no time and jumped right in. His men made sure that he would be able to walk upright inside the tunnel so they ensured that their boss had enough space. It was a classy prison escape. After walking a few feet inside the tunnel, El Chapo’s men prepared a motorcycle for him to ride. Thanks to that, he was able to cut down his escape time and arrived at the house he bought near the prison shortly. 

Life after his big escape

Everything seemed to be going according to plan once again for El Chapo. Right after his escape, he was taken away on a truck and would eventually proceed to disappear once again, only leaving traces of the mile-long tunnel that he and his team of men worked hard on. 

Naturally, authorities were not happy about this and the manhunt for El Chapo began once again. But what El Chapo thought would be his final escape, was abruptly ended due to one of his careless gunmen, who was spotted by a local. 

Getting caught again

It was like a scene from an action movie. El Chapo did not want to give up his freedom again, after all that hard work, he was determined to not let it go to waste. Officials have been observing El Chapo’s escape house for a while now and it seems they were right, only waiting for their chance to strike. 

After El Chapo realized that he was about to get caught, he escaped with his fellow lieutenants through a secret tunnel and stole a vehicle and used it to escape. But after being caught again by officials, El Chapo then tried to bribe the police officers. Offering them money beyond their wildest dreams, but little did El Chapo know, these officers were not the same corrupt officials he dealt with before. 

The big encounter

When the officers refused El Chapo’s offer, he then told them that they were going to die. But the officers stood their ground and refused to be taunted by El Chapo’s threats. The officers received a warning that 40 armed men were about to arrive in the area, they felt defeated for a moment as they thought that the armed men were from El Chapo’s camp. 

But as they saw the headlights flashing towards them, they realized that it was from the military and the Mexican marines, their backup has arrived. El Chapo had no choice but to surrender and face life imprisonment, but will he finally give up from escaping once again?