El Chapo: The Untold Story of the Worlds Most Infamous Drug Lord

Great Read, well written book. I have read many Chapo books this one has deeper detail , Im impressed

Author Noah Hurowitz attended the federal trial of El Chapo in New York and conducted a lot of research and interviews in Mexico to produce El chapo: the untold story.... He brings El Chapo, which means shorty, and his native state of Sinaloa and city of Culiacán to life with history, culture and geographic beauty noted. Many Narco-business partners, their nicknames, alliances and wars are covered, and the reader can delve deeper into these participants on ones own for further learning. Hurowitz details the different leaders of different cartels, their differing methods of transport smuggling, region of influence and organizational operations. He ties them together well. There are further details about the mechanics of the Narco Trade in Mexico and how Mexicos legal and political system, and correction system functions. El Chapo escaped from Mexican prisons twice and the latter escape was from a super-max prison of Altiplano. Based on statistics there is virtually no faith in the barely functioning Mexican legal system. In data from 2006-2021: 90% of murders went unsolved, arrests were made in 11.5% of criminal cases, and only 4% ended up in the judicial system. However, Hurowitz notes that these aspects are a narrow slice of Mexico. It seems most people in the US are more familiar with Pablo Escobar than El Chapo but Chapo was on par with Escobar in the scope of his business earnings. There are a multitude of deaths in this book but its not macabre, just the facts of what happened. The direct influence of the Narco Trade is at the highest levels the Mexican government from the President at the top flowing all the way down to the small-town patrol cop far from the capital. Enrique Peña Nieto offered a deal to El Chapo to never pursue him allowing free reign with no interference in exchange for payment of $250 million USD while Nieto ran his Presidential election campaign. El Chapo, being the shrewd businessman, countered with $100 million USD in cash and Nieto accepted. Chapo paid Nieto the $100 Million all in cash. Taking a different turn, Felipe Calderón launched a War on Drugs after his 2006 Presidential victory and confrontation and violence escalated between the government forces and among the cartels themselves. In the 15 years since Calderon declared war hundreds of thousands of people have been murdered and tens of thousands have been forcibly disappeared. One name that appeared several times was Genaro Gacía Luna who held many high-ranking governmental positions and private business. His name is now in the news in the US and Mexico as hes on trial in federal court in the United States. This book is well-written and packed with information.

El Chapo is a well written page turner that offers an inside view of one of one of the most prolific drug smugglers in history, his motley network of connections, innovative business practices, ruthless encounters and Houdini-esque ability to evade capture and escape incarceration. Although he is ultimately captured and extradited to the U.S. where he will ultimately die in prison, his legacy is such that the Mexican people in his familys orbit will continue to live lives of fear, hopelessness and despair, as was best depicted once he is out of the picture and the authorities attempted to apprehend one of his heirs to the throne. In addition to the criminal enterprises that are revealed, the vast web of police and government collusion and corruption is uncovered and explained. What we find, in the end, is that there are few good guys or governments. The few that there are, are the heroes in this fascinating and depressing tale of greed, violence and death. El Chapo a book worth reading and I highly recommend it.

This book is not just a biography of El Chapo leader of México’s largest cartel. It gives a frightening account of the violence created by the U.S. led war on drugs viewed through the life of Mexico’s most notorious drug lord. I’d recommend it to anyone wanting to understand the realities created by regressive and punitive drug policies and their very human cost.

Very interesting, but also very wordy. I dont know if the reader needed to know the four and five names that the various men had as well as their Spanish nick names. I skimmed after a while.

Really good audiobook my fiancé and I were hooked on a road trip. Hearing the number of things this guy escaped death was insane really descriptive and offers great insight

Disappointing book on a subject much written about that I expected new insights into the relationships with governments particularly that enabled Chapo’s last escape. This book just rehashes everything that is already out there!