Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks

Keefe’s next subject is Mexican drug cartel leader, Chapo Guzmán. Guzmán frequently evaded arrest and once escaped prison, becoming notorious for his longtime fugitive status. Guzmán benefitted from a network of informers within Mexican law enforcement, who frequently tipped him off to possible arrests. He was rarely seen in public and scrupulous about never sending any form of recoverable communication. His secrecy and ability to remain at large helped Guzmán acquire the stature of a folk hero. However, when several key figures in the cartel were incarcerated in 2013, the organization’s remaining leadership was forced to strategize more openly over the phone or by email. As Guzmán left his mountain retreat in Sinaloa for some business meetings, the elite strike force of Mexico’s Marine Corps, SEMAR, plotted to capture him.

The son of a “subsistence farmer who dabbled in the drug trade” (152), Guzmán quickly became a specialist in controlling cocaine smuggling routes. In a 1992 attempt to eliminate rivals, he staged a mass shooting at a nightclub and was nearly assassinated in turn at an airport in Guadalajara. The standoff there resulted in the death of a Catholic archbishop, and Guzmán was eventually arrested. He continued to run his business from prison, living lavishly.