El Chapo Under Extreme Watch, Forced to Switch Cells, New Photo Shows
Extreme precautions are being used to ensure infamous drug lord "El Chapo" does not escape from his current prison in Altiplano.
The Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin Loera Guzman is being kept at a facility with steel doors, thermal cameras and guard dogs, according to the NY Daily News.
A photograph by Mexican journalist Carlos Loret de Mola shows Guzman facing the wall in a cell that appears to have two sets of doors.
En exclusiva la imagen del "Chapo" tras las rejas.
Posted by Carlos Loret de Mola on Sunday, January 17, 2016
The cell appears relatively accommodating, housing a mattress and a desk, along with a mirror, sink and toilet. A towel hangs from the bars, and a large jug of water sits on the floor.
El Universal reports the prison guards have taken to moving Guzman to different cells in order to prevent escape attempts. In the first five nights alone, they switched the prisoner's cell seven times.
Prison officials survey every move for potential blind spots. The guards also carry cameras attached to their helmets and are accompanied by trained watchdogs.
Motion detectors and cameras equip with thermal imaging are installed above and below Guzman's cells to prevent tunneling attempts. In addition, the prison's floor infrastructure has been renovated with reinforced steel rods.
Guzman became Mexico's most wanted fugitive last July when he escaped from his maximum-security prison cell, the second time he had done so. In this latest breakout, the criminal fled through a man-made tunnel beneath his shower.
Mexican Marines recaptured the drug lord from a compound in his hometown of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, on Jan. 8. He attempted to escape through the town's sewer system but was later caught in a stolen getaway vehicle.
Visitors and employees at the Altiplano prison housing Guzman will have to go through security similar to that used at airport checkpoints, featuring metal detectors, screening machines and explosive test swabs.