A Brooklyn jury today found Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, 61, guilty on all counts.
They deliberated for more than five days before convicting him on charges of operating a continuing criminal enterprise, use of firearms and various charges of conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine, heroin and marijuana. He faces up to life in prison.
The trial lasted 11-weeks. There were 50 plus prosecution witnesses — including 14 former associates who took the stand against him. The defense took only 30-minutes and there was one witness for the defense.
El Chapo, much like our own celebrated Vanguard, rose and fell and spent some time hiding out in between.
The New York Post describes his lavish lifestyle in the 1990s and his hiding out in the mountains on the run from authorities in the 2000s.
According to the Post, “Testimony from those closest to Guzman ranged from comical to chilling, including a naked escape from law enforcement through a tunnel network he’d built under his bathtub — and the cold-blooded murders he himself committed.
“The accounts painted Guzman as a ruthless and calculating drug lord, who was paranoid to the point of obsession, going so far as to install spyware on the devices used by his associates, wife and mistresses.”
Thanks to El Chapo’s spying, the FBI nailed him after they flipped his IT guy. and got access to spy communications as well as Guzman’s encrypted servers.
This might be an intriguing notion for Nixvm hackers, Ben Myers and Steve Ose, to contemplate.
His conviction means El Chapo will probably be leaving the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn where he earned glory by residing there at the same time as the Vanguard himself.
He will be sentenced and likely placed in a super max facility to spend what is likely the rest of his life there. I can’t help but think that this is a portend of things to come from his mate in residence Keith Alan Raniere.
For the record, let me state that, at best, El Chapo was a mid-level provider of cocaine to the USA. It is not known if his boss of bosses, Carlos Salinas will ever be prosecuted.
And it bears investigation at some point as to how much if any was the role of Nxivm in trafficking drugs, on any level – as well as smuggling cash across the border.
The take down of this comparatively lower level trafficker is good for tabloid headlines, however. It makes it sound like the US is doing something big to stop drug smuggling.
The fact is the trafficking of cocaine has not slowed down one iota since El Chapo’s arrest.
That is because – to be candid, the big boys – the people in charge – leading all the way up to Carlos Salinas on the Mexican side – the reputed kingpin of the cartels – are untouchable – based on their partnership with the Deep State or Intelligence Community in the USA – and consequently they will never stop their lucrative export business into the USA.
To put it in perspective, during the trial, El Chapo’s organization is alleged by the prosecution to have trafficked 328 million lines of cocaine – enough to provide a line of coke for every person in the US.
It sounds big. But once you break it down – at 15 lines per gram – based on my calculations, it comes to about about 50,000 pounds of cocaine – or 25 tons.
Based on statistics readily available online, it appears that Americans consume about 4,000,000 pounds of cocaine per year. [2,000 tons].
El Chapo was responsible for less than 1 percent of cocaine sales in America – at best.
He was, as I say, a low to mid-level trafficker.

The sobering reality of my historical reference is that nothing has changed in 25 years.
Conspiracy or no Conspiracy….
Frank could have published almost the same exact article in 1993 and it be true.
Scott,
Pardon my mistake about the law. I was commenting strictly from memory. My memory is a little fuzzy when it comes to 30 year old events.
That’s what the internets is for.
Scott,
Touché, you got me on that point.
You are far from alone in that regard, people post crap comments on this website all the time.
Comparing El Chapo to Keith “cry baby jane” Raniere has compelled me to point out that El Chapo is a murderer and that there is an online confession from Mr Ranieres own mouth that he has had people killed for his beliefs. Was that a slick confession to the disappearance and possible murder of the young Kristen Snyder?
No, it was a statement that was taken totally out of context.
Booty Cheeks,
It’s difficult to tell if Raniere a narcissistic egomaniac psychopath was just being grandiose or serious or intimidating. I had the same question.
I found the most chilling aspect of the video is when Raniere mentions being advised ‘to have body guards’ . My understanding is that “Body guards” are a common characteristic in most tragic cult stories.
Raniere had bodyguards because he was so soft. Too bad he didn’t keep up with his Judo or sprinting, or he could defended himself or outrun his enemies.
Pablo Escobar at the time of his death had been the most famous and powerful drug dealer ever brought to justice he was the El Chapo of his time.
The year after Pablo died shipments of cocaine into the United States increased from other sources….
nothing changed.
It was great for Bill Clinton and his administration were able to take credit for the operation originally started by Bush senior.
Bill Clinton takes credit for lots of things he didn’t do, such as balancing the budget.
…. Oh man I have been outed as a
Crank. Espians!!! Please let Mr. Raniere know that he has not been successfully Catfished and all the pictures he receives in prison from his female friends are authentic. None of the photos sent to him are of deceased woman.
None of the letters Keith has sent will be shared with the New York Post.
I believe it is possible his letters will be held safely as collateral or until that time the New York Post coughs up $10,000 instead of the $5,000 the Post originally offered.
Of course I am completely joking about all of this. I am not in any way, shape, or form in communication with Vanguard.
Espians have a great day!!!
Mischievous Nice Guy😁
Legalize all drugs and the problem will end. Portugal did it. Problem solved
Our government representatives love it all the way to the bank along with Salinas across the border.
Yes Frank, El Chapo was a tool for Salinas and our politicians as was Keith
Wouldn’t it be great if El Chapo and the Vanguard were able to share a six pack together and reminisce about their glory days of unabated pussy and wealth? Then slowly walk back to their cells, defeated? I would love to hear those two have a conversation. Pretty sure they’d blame everyone but themselves.
Do they each know each others’ language well enough to have a conversation? After all, neither went to the Rainbow Garden school.
The 80’s all over again…..
Sadly the prosecution of El Chapo is just like the hunting down and killing of Pablo Escobar. In the grand scheme of things it will accomplish little. Frank is right.
I am old enough and I am sure many of your are as well to remember when Pablo Escobar was tracked down and brought to justice or gun downed; by the Colombian government with help from the United States.
The United States sent one of its most secretive clandestine organizational groups within the CIA/DEA/ ISA. The organization was known as Center Spike. What part of the government Center Spike actually belonged to is up for debate. 60 minutes was the first to crack the story in regards to US intervention. The story was straight out of a Tom Clancy Novel. Escobar planted a bomb and blew up a foreign airplane to kill an enemy. Unfortunately for Escobar one of the additional passengers on the flight was a US citizen. Killing a US citizen fell under a a provision of laws. The first President Bush was then able to label Escobar a “Clear and present Danger”, to the United States.
The Clintons and strangelyeven the Bush family both have connections to Ex President Salinas.
The truth is stranger than fiction.
Frank is completely right.
A link to a nytimes article that reported the crash can be found here. https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/28/world/all-107-aboard-killed-as-colombian-jet-explodes.html
Killing a US citizen fell under a a provision of laws? I think there’s a bit more to the story than that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Escobar
Nice historical perspective, nice. Unfortunately, the truth is so buried in these matters, it rarely emerges for decades and it’s only a partial one at that.
…Kinda like Bangschlock’s shriveled, old cock — to use an “equitable” anology.
Interesting how every last one of El Chapo’s accomplices turned on him and none but he, not even his tunnel-runner mistress, were at all punished.
Of course, taking out a single “kingpin” is completely ineffective and may even offer some sense of security that so long as you’re not “the” or “El” top figurehead, you’ll never be caught.
Sad Truth…..Where ever the United States Military goes …..Heroin/Cocaine follows! It’s used as a weapon against the Command.
MACV
If this all to unethical and crazy … I apologize and hope you will still publish the articles I am submitting. Sometimes I have a double espresso an get little overly zealous
Somebody get the transcripts. I want to know what US officials he testified to having bribed, because I bet a whole bunch of them are strongly against a wall being built.
Keith has prison pen pals I am attempting, perhaps in vain, to ruin his new relationships. It’s a stretch but crazier ideas have worked.
Thanks
I left the comments under the “two attorneys” article the other day. I promise will not ask you for a favor about something so trivial ever again.
The DOJs Greatest Hits keep Coming! Keith Raniere, Nancy Salzman and Clare Bronfman next!
Why do you think Sara Bronfman is hiding out in France? Duh. Because she’s GUILTY
Hi Frank last favor. Please delete all the Catfishing comments I left the other day. It will help make the comments appear more authentic in nature and hopefully have the desired effect
Making changes to the comments section isn’t worth Frank’s time.