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Photos have surfaced of Mexico's most notorious drug lord purportedly hanging out in a plane cockpit and chilling with a beer after his escape from a maximum-security prison over the weekend.
Difunde en un blog (narco) supuestas fotos de "El Chapo" luego de escapar.
— Fernanda Familiar (@qtf) July 13, 2015
¿Se permite bigote en la cárcel?
FernandaF pic.twitter.com/iF82ioEWMC
These snapshots of 56-year-old Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman were reportedly sent to Spanish-language blog, Blog del Narco, from one of Guzman's sons, someone who works with the blog told San Antonio Express-News.
Mike Vigil, former chief of international operations for the DEA, told the San Antonio Express-News that though he wouldn't be able to confirm if those photos are real, it seems likely that Guzman's escape plan would involve a plane. However, he has some doubts that it was indeed Guzman's son who leaked the photos because it could tip off investigators to the billionaire Sinaloa cartel founder's whereabouts.
Guzman has been gloating on social media about his elaborate escape on Saturday from the Atiplano prison that's 50 miles outside Mexico City—one that involved an underground, mile-long tunnel from a prison shower stall.
Since Guzman ditched his prison cell, there have been a number of tweets coming from his supposedly official Twitter account, with deep thoughts about his newfound freedom and jabs at Donald Trump and Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto. The account is reportedly run by one of Guzman's sons. It's been active since 2012.
This one translates to "Life takes many turns, one day you're in the hole and the next day you're on top":
There's also the one that directly mentioned Donald Trump in a tweet, which translates to "Keep fucking around and I'm gonna make you swallow your bitch words you fucking whitey milkshitter," the last word being a homophobic slur, according to TMZ:
If Guzman has any beef with Trump, it would probably have to do with these series of tweets Trump sent out over the weekend:
Can you envision Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton negotiating with 'El Chapo', the Mexican drug lord who escaped from prison? ....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2015
...Trump, however, would kick his ass!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2015
Trump might not be so quick to talk about kicking Guzman's ass anymore, as Trump told TMZ he's contacting the FBI to investigate the threats.
Another tweet coming from Guzman's account directed towards Nieto says, "And you @EPN don't call me a delinquent again because I give people work unlike your fucking current government":
This is the second time Guzman has escaped from prison, which is an embarrassment for the Mexican government and Nieto, who's made it his platform to fight cartels. It only deepens suspicions about corruption within the prison system. The first time Guzman escaped was in 2001 from the Puente Grande prison in the Jalisco state after serving time for murder and drug trafficking convictions. He's spent more than a decade on the run. Prison guards aided him in his escape during that time, supposedly helping him disappear in a prison laundry cart. Guzman was later caught in February 2014 and jailed in Altiplano.
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For his Altiplano escape, it seems likely that prison officials were aware of his plans, and 18 guards and employees are currently being held for questioning. His elaborate escape tunnel was even ventilated and lit, leading to a remote construction site.
Guzman's cartel is known for trafficking cocaine, heroin, and marijuana throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia.
"This is like capturing Osama bin Laden, having him spend a year in prison, and then walking away from that prison only to re-engage in his terrorist activities," said Anthony Coulson, a former supervisor at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
