Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, the notorious escaped leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, was caught by Mexican authorities on Jan. 8.

As previously reported, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto announced the arrest on social media.
"Mission accomplished,” he tweeted around noon. "We have him."

As the Associated Press reports, an anonymous official revealed that Guzman was captured at a motel on the outskirts of Los Mochis in his home state of Sinaloa.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration expressed their happiness at the capture on Twitter. "DEA is extremely pleased at the capture of Chapo Guzman," they wrote.

Guzman was arrested after a shootout with Mexican marines in the city of Los Mochis.

CNN reports that several individuals tied to Guzman died in Friday’s raid.

Guzman started his cartel career in 2009 and is considered the living symbol of how common people in Mexico can attain power though criminal activities.

Malcolm Beith, an expert on Mexican cartels, calls him the epitome of the drug problem in Mexico.

"He's a poor kid who had some family connections in the drug trade, no options, no real education ... (and) becomes a big-time drug lord," says Beith.

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