English

Mexico arrests 13 in connection with El Chapo's escape

The drug lord escaped through a tunnel built into his cell.

(Photo: Reuters)
19/09/2015 |09:48Reuters |
Redacción El Universal
Pendiente este autorVer perfil

Mexico has arrested 13 more people in connection with the escape of drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, including the former director of the high-security prison he escaped from and a government official who oversaw Mexico's prisons.

A total of 20 officials have now been arrested in connection with Guzmán's escape from a maximum-security prison in central Mexico in July.

Valentín Cárdenas, the former director of the Altiplano prison in central Mexico, and Celina Oseguera, former director of Mexico's federal prisons, were arrested along with 11 prison guards, a person familiar with the arrests said on Friday.

Newsletter
Recibe en tu correo las noticias más destacadas para viajar, trabajar y vivir en EU

Mexico's attorney general's office said in a press release that 13 people were arrested in connection with Guzman's escape but it did not give details.

Both Oseguera and Cardenas were removed from their positions shortly after Guzmán escaped.

Four officials, including two members of Mexico's intelligence agency CISEN, were charged this month for their suspected roles in Guzmán's jailbreak.

The drug lord escaped through a tunnel built into his cell.

Guzmán had previously escaped from prison in 2001 and was only recaptured last year.