U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials have captured a notorious drug lord, according to the Associated Press.
Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, head of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, was taken alive by authorities overnight at a hotel in Mazatlan, Mexico. A senior U.S. law enforcement official told the AP that the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marshals Service were “heavily involved” in Guzman’s capture.
{mosads}Guzman faces several drug trafficking charges in the United States and was on the DEA’s most-wanted list. His cartel has been part of a vicious ongoing drug war in Mexico for years. Authorities have taken down several members of the Sinaloa group in recent months, including at least 10 mid-level cartel members this past week.
The drug lord’s arrest won plaudits from some members of Congress.
“According to reports, drug lord ‘El Chapo’ Guzman has been captured in #Mexico. Kudos 2 law enforcement officials + DEA,” Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, tweeted on Saturday.