Mexico says El Chapo narrowly evades capture, sustains injuries
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the head of the Sinaloa drug cartel, escaped from his high-security prison cell in July.
Head of Grupo Rev, Diego Esponda shows some Guzman masks at Grupo Rev in the Mexican city of Cuernavaca near Mexico City October 14, 2015. The hunt for Mexico's most-wanted kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman may get a little harder this Halloween with a Mexican company capitalising on the druglord's brazen escape by releasing a costume in time for the scary season. Grupo Rev in the Mexican city of Cuernavaca have begun producing masks in Guzman's likeness. With the company exporting to some 30 countries globally, the kingpin's costume complete with prison costume is set to be a hot seller.
REUTERS/Henry Romero
Mexico City
The world's most-wanted drug boss, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, narrowly evaded security forces searching for him in the northwest of Mexico in recent days, sustaining injuries to his face and leg, the Mexican government said on Friday.
Guzman, the head of the Sinaloa drug cartel, escaped from his high-security prison cell in July through a specially dug tunnel, causing a major embarrassment for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.
In a statement, the Mexican government said it had worked with international agencies to capture Guzman, and that in recent weeks, efforts had been focused on the northwest of the country, not far from Guzman's native turf of Sinaloa state.
"As a result of these actions, and to avoid his capture, in recent days, the fugitive engaged in a hasty retreat, which, according to the information received, caused him injuries to one leg and the face," the government statement said.
"It's important to clarify that these injuries were not a product of a direct clash," the statement added, without giving further information.
In August, the acting head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said the U.S. government believed Guzman was still in Mexico.