As Mexican authorities stage a massive manhunt for Joaquin Guzman, also known as "El Chapo," the raw surveillance footage that showed the convicted drug lord's last few moments in prison surfaced on Wednesday.
In the closed-circuit video, El Chapo is seen pacing in his cell at the Altipano maximum security prison before lowering himself behind a wall that separated his sleeping area from the shower. He disappeared from view at exactly 8:52 p.m. never to emerge thereafter.
HNGN previously reported about the discovery of a hole on the shower floor. It is connected to a mile-long tunnel outfitted with wooden beams, specially modified motorcycle and carts that traversed steel tracks that ended in an unfinished barn, where the kingpin disappeared without a trace. The crew who helped with the escape left coils of steel mesh, hydraulic fluids, PVC pipe and electric discs to show for their troubles.
The massive manhunt now includes $3.8 million bounty on the most wanted fugitive. And speculations are rife as to the where El Chapo is hiding. Three locations are so far considered the most legitimate, according to CNN. The first is Mexico City, a megalopolis teeming with people where El Chapo could easily hide in plain sight. There is also Badiraguato, El Chapo's hometown, where the mountainous terrain can ensure good cover. Authorities are also looking at the possibility that he was able to slip into Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala or even the United States using fake passport, CNN reported.
U.S officials were aware of plots for El Chapo's escape since his capture in 2014. The information gathered by the Drug Enforcement Administration, for example, was passed to Mexican authorities, but was not acted on, CBS News learned. This was confirmed by a report in January where former Mexican Attorney General Murillo Karam dismissed concerns that the drug lord could escape, Fox News reported. The information was crucial since the drug lord has escaped prison before.
