Joaquin Guzman Loera

Forbes Magazine named drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman — a fugitive reputed to be hiding in the mountains of northern Mexico — to its list of the 67 "World's Most Powerful People" on Wednesday. At No. 41 on the list, Guzman is ahead of presidents like Russia's Dmitry Medvedev, France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Forbes noted Guzman's profession as "drug trafficker" on the list published Wednesday on its Web site. "This ranking is intended to be the beginning of a conversation, not the final word," the magazine said in accompanying article. "Do despicable criminals like billionaire Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman ... Read Full Story

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera leads the Sinaloa cartel, which is battling for turf along the border.Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, a 54-year-old drug cartel leader is the most wanted man in Mexico. He's also one of the most wanted men in the United States. 1 of 3 For five years, the State Department has kept a $5 million bounty on his head, calling Guzman a threat to U.S. security.Guzman, who leads the Sinaloa cartel, is a key player in the bloody turf battles being fought along the border. He recently upped the stakes, ordering his associates to use lethal force to protect their ... Read Full Story

The Border: A Mexican drug lord is ordering his thugs to open fire on U.S. lawmen -- a new level of depravity coming up from the south. But if history is any guide, it's the last thing Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman will ever do. In March, U.S. agents caught Guzman on his cell phone ordering smugglers to "use weapons to defend their loads" against U.S. lawmen. In the past, the billionaire kingpin of the Sinaloa Cartel avoided such confrontations. But now he's fighting. If that means opening fire in a U.S. shopping mall or schoolyard, so be it. But this order should be understood ... Read Full Story

Forty-three defendants in the United States and Mexico, including 10 alleged Mexican drug cartel leaders, have been charged in 12 indictments unsealed yesterday and today in U.S. federal courts in Brooklyn and Chicago, the Department of Justice, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced. The alleged leaders and other high-ranking members of several of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels are charged with operating continuing criminal enterprises or participating in international drug trafficking conspiracies. “Breaking up these dangerous cartels and stemming the flow of drugs, weapons and cash across the Southwest border is a top priority for this Justice ... Read Full Story

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera is one of the most powerful men in Mexico. At 54, Guzman and his Sinaloa crime family control a significant portion (some say up to a third) of the country's drug trade -- a trade so lucrative that Guzman has found himself on Forbes list of billionaires. Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera (From Forbes.com) Forbes published its annual list of billionaires Wednesday, placing Guzman in position 701 with a worth of around $1 billion. Guzman holds the dubious distinction of being the only listed billionaire with a $5 million bounty on his head, a reward being offered by the ... Read Full Story