Mexico's Real Tony Soprano

Recently the Obama administration has brought the drug wars in Mexico to light again. Though it seems like new news to many Americans people in the border states know it has been building for the last few years. The Texas border in particular has become quite bloody due to battles over this area by the cartels. The biggest of the Mexican cartels is the one run by " El Chapo".

Joaquin Guzman Loera, commonly known as "El Chapo" (Shorty in English) is the head of the Sinaloa Cartel. The Sinaloa Cartel is one of the four major drug cartels operating in Mexico and is the largest. El Chapo was mostly unknown in the U.S. until recently placing 701 on the Forbes list of the richest people in the world. In Mexico his name is well known and he is almost a mythical figure.

The legendary status El Chapo has was built on his exploits that rival that of any Hollywood script. His escapes and appearances are what have built his air of invincibility. He was captured in Guatemala in 1993 and extradited to Mexico to serve time in the CERESO No. 2 Maximum Security Prison. While in CERESO No. 2 he did whatever he wanted by all accounts and reportedly had 78 people on his payroll while there.

In 2001 before being extradited to the United States he escaped the Maximum Security CERESO No. 2 in a laundry truck with help from prison personnel on his payroll. Upon escaping he regained power of the Sinoloa Cartel and continued to build it into the biggest cartel in Mexico. To give a rough idea the Sinoloa Cartel was the size of Pablo Escobar's Colombian cocaine cartel at it's height while El Chapo was in prison.

In 2003 El Chapo's rival Osiel Cardenas who ran the Gulf Cartel was captured in a televised shootout in Matamoros, Mexico. Though Cardenas continued to run the Gulf Cartel from behind prison walls, El Chapo moved into Gulf Cartel territory upon his incarceration. The Sinoloa move prompted the Gulf Cartel to employ Los Zetas to fight against El Chapo.

Los Zetas was formed from an elite Mexican Army anti-drug commando force trained by the United States, France and Israel. The Zetas took the battles in Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa and Matamoros to a highly trained military level. It is reported that the Zetas have slowly taken control of the Gulf Cartel and Heriberto Lazcano also known as El Lazca or Zeta 3 has taken the leadership position.

Despite the Zetas, El Chapo has boldly turned up in Gulf Cartel territory which has only added to his legend. He has shown up in the Gulf Cartel towns of Nuevo Laredo and Juarez and in his home state in the city of Culiacan. When El Chapo shows up his security team surrounds a restaurant, takes all cell phones, eats and then leaves money to pay for everyone in the restaurant.

Though the Mexican government, the United States government and the Zetas continue to pursue him he leads a pretty secure life and his legend continues to grow. With all of his enemies, he still enjoys a popularity similar to Tony Soprano or Pancho Villa.